Male occult triple-negative breast cancer

Abstract

Male breast cancer is a rare but important condition accounting for only 1% of breast cancer worldwide and less than 1% of all male malignancies. Occult male breast cancer is an extremely rare type of male breast cancer that manifests as axillary metastases without an identifiable breast lesion. We report a case of triple-negative occult male breast cancer who underwent modified radical mastectomy.

Male Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

“…With BRCA2 mutation being more common in MBCs, BRCA2 mutations are thought to be found in up to 14-40% of MBC cases. It is recommended that male patients with breast cancer to be referred for genetic counselling and tested for BRCA gene mutation [ 3 , 8 , 11 ]. MBC clinically it presents as lump, pain, or skin dent.…”

“…Occult disease is extremely rare, and the disease is identified as an occult disease when a patient presents with axillary node metastases without obvious or an identifiable breast primary. Triple-negative MBC (TNMBC) could be associated with other conditions such as dermatomyositis [ 8 , 12 ]. The commonest histological subtype of MBC is ductal carcinoma of no special type; thus, our case falls in this category.…”

“…MBC clinically presents as a lump, pain, or skin dent; occult disease is extremely rare and may be detected as axillary node metastases without obvious or an identifiable breast primary [ 8 ]. Most of the diagnosed breast cancers in both genders show estrogen receptor expression; however, the positive hormone receptor expression rate in MBC is greater than that in women breast cancer, that is, up to 95% [ 3 , 12 ].…”

“…Males are diagnosed with breast cancer at an average of 10 years older than the age at which it is diagnosed in women of 65 years; however, it has been reported that it has been diagnosed in a 17-year-old boy as well [6]. Risk factors associated with increased risk of MBC (Table 1) are family history, cryptorchidism, orchidectomy, orchitis, infertility, Klinefelter's syndrome, smoking, physical inactivity, alcohol consumption, previous thoracic radiotherapy, altered estrogen-testosterone ratio, and use of exogenous androgens and estrogen, and it has been diagnosed in male-to-female transgender as well [1,[7][8][9]. It is also becoming clearer that obesity and the associated metabolic abnormalities may play an important role in the development of MBC as a result of decrease in androgen level and increase in estrogen level [3].…”

“…It is also becoming clearer that obesity and the associated metabolic abnormalities may play an important role in the development of MBC as a result of decrease in androgen level and increase in estrogen level [3]. [5,8,9] The breast cancer risk in females with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation is estimated at 90% [10]; the two gene mutations are not only responsible for 90% of familial breast cancer but also for the most of the familial ovarian malignancies [11]. Only one-third of males who are BRCA1/2 mutation carriers will develop cancers as breast, prostate, and pancreatic malignancies.…”