PURPOSE: Male breast cancer (MBC) is a rare, but increasingly common disease, and lacks prospective studies. Collaborative efforts are needed to understand and address MBC, including its prognosis, in different countries. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the clinical, histopathological, and molecular-genetic characteristics, treatments, and survival outcomes of MBC diagnosed between 2007 and 2017 in the Czech Republic. Prognostic factors of overall survival (OS), recurrence-free interval (RFi), and breast cancer-specific mortality (BCSM) were analyzed and indirectly compared to international data. RESULTS: We analyzed 256 patients with MBC (median age 66 years), including 12% with de novo metastatic (M1). Of 201 non-metastatic (M0) patients, 6% were <40 years old, 29% had stage I, 55% were cN0, and 54% underwent genetic testing. Overall, 97% of tumors had estrogen receptor expression ≥10%, 61% had high Ki67 index, 40% were high-grade (G3), and 68% were luminal B-like (HER2-negative). Systemic therapies included endocrine therapy (90%) and chemotherapy (53%). Few (5%) patients discontinued adjuvant endocrine therapy for reasons other than disease relapse or death. Patients treated with aromatase inhibitors alone had significantly shorter RFi (P < .001). OS, RFi, and BCSM were associated with disease stage, T stage, N stage, progesterone receptor expression, grade, and Ki67 index. Median OS reached 122 and 42 months in M0 and de novo M1 patients, respectively. CONCLUSION: Due to the rarity of MBC, this study highlights important findings from real clinical practice. Although the number of patients with MBC with unfavorable features was higher in this Czech dataset than in international studies, the prognosis remains consistent with real-world evidence.

Biomedical Center Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen Charles University Pilsen Czech Republic

Clinic of Oncology 1st Faculty of Medicine Charles University and Thomayer University Hospital Prague Czech Republic

Comprehensive Oncology Center The Liberec Regional Hospital Liberec Czech Republic

Department of Clinical Oncology Na Homolce Hospital Prague Czech Republic

Department of Comprehensive Cancer Care Faculty of Medicine Masaryk University Brno Czech Republic

Department of Comprehensive Cancer Care Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute Brno Czech Republic

Department of Mathematics and Statistics Faculty of Science Masaryk University Brno Czech Republic

Department of Oncology 1st Faculty of Medicine Charles University and General University Hospital Prague Czech Republic

Department of Oncology 1st Faculty of Medicine of Charles University General University Hospital Prague and Military University Hospital Prague Prague Czech Republic

Department of Oncology 2nd Medical Faculty Charles University and University Hospital Motol Prague Czech Republic

Department of Oncology and Radiotherapeutics Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital in Pilsen Charles University Pilsen Czech Republic

Department of Oncology and Radiotherapy Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Kralove and University Hospital in Hradec Kralove Charles University Hradec Kralove Czech Republic

Department of Oncology AntiCa Kladno Czech Republic

Department of Oncology Hospital of Chomutov Chomutov Czech Republic

Department of Radiotherapy and Oncology 3rd Faculty of Medicine Charles University and Faculty Hospital Kralovske Vinohrady Prague Czech Republic

Faculty of Health Studies Pardubice University Pardubice Czech Republic

Institute of Radiation Oncology Faculty Hospital Bulovka Prague Czech Republic

Oncology Department T Baťa Regional Hospital Zlín Zlin Czech Republic

Research Centre for Applied Molecular Oncology Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute Brno Czech Republic

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