A spontaneous unveiling of bilateral DCIS in an elderly male

Abstract

The rarity of male breast cancer continues to limit its study despite increasing incidence rates, particularly within the past decade [Speirs V, Shaaban AM. The rising incidence of male breast cancer. Breast Cancer Res Treat 2009;115:429–30]. Although this trend appears to be substantially documented, male patients with breast cancer have been and continue to be excluded from landmark breast cancer trials. Currently, there are no standardized breast cancer screening protocols in place for men, including those with pathogenic BRCA mutations. As a result, men with breast cancer typically present at a later stage, and on average, 8–10 years later than females [Ruddy KJ, Winer EP. Male breast cancer: risk factors, biology, diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship. Ann Oncol 2013;24:1434–43]. As the incidence of disease continues to rise, the need for algorithmic standardization with regards to screening, diagnosing, treating and managing male breast cancer has become imperative. We report the case of a 71-year-old male who presented with spontaneous bloody nipple discharge and was found to have bilateral ductal carcinoma in situ.