Trend of Male Breast Cancer in Nepal, Tertiary Cancer Center Observation Over 12-Year Period (2010 to 2022)

Rupesh Roshan *¹, Deepak Singh Mouni ²

1. Clinical Fellowship - Breast Oncosurgery, Surgical Oncology Department, B.P. Koirala Memorial Cancer Hospital, Bharatpur, Nepal.

2. Surgical Oncology, Unit Chief Breast Oncosurgery Unit, Surgical Oncology Department, B.P. Koirala Memorial Cancer Hospital, Bharatpur, Nepal.

*Correspondence to: Rupesh Roshan, Clinical Fellowship - Breast Oncosurgery, Surgical Oncology Department, B.P. Koirala Memorial Cancer Hospital, Bharatpur, Nepal.

Copyright

© 2023 Rupesh Roshan. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Received: 10 October 2023

Published: 20 October 2023

Abstract

Background: Trend of Male breast cancer in Nepal, tertiary cancer center observation study from 2010 to 2022.

Method: This investigation utilized data from the annual reports and breast oncosurgery unit patients record. Male patients diagnosed with breast cancer in the Breast Oncosurgery unit of the surgical Oncology department at B.P. Koirala Memorial Cancer Hospital.

Result: Trend of Male breast cancer observed from 2010 to 2022 at B.P. Koirala Memorial Cancer Hospital is 3.5 %, which is increasing and it's time for awareness among men about breast cancer to be diagnosed at an early stage.

Conclusion: Increasing incidence of male breast cancer highlights the importance of enhancing our understanding of male breast cancer assessment and raising awareness to implement more effective prevention policies for the well-being and early diagnosis of male breast cancer in Nepal.

Keywords: Epidemiology, Incidence, Male breast cancer, Nepal, Increasing incidence, Prevalence.

Introduction

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death globally, but its burden is not uniform. In 2020, breast cancer surpassed lung cancer as the most commonly diagnosed cancer globally (1). The incidence of breast cancer is rising on a global scale. The burden of cancer has increased over time in both developed and developing countries due to various factors, which include aging and increasing population, accelerating socioeconomic development, and changes in the prevalence of associated risk factors (2).

Male breast cancer is rare, representing approximately 1% of cancers that occur in men and approximately 1% of all breast cancer worldwide. Less than 0.2% of cancer-related deaths in men can be attributed to male breast cancer. (3)

According to Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER) data from 2015, the incidence of invasive breast cancer in men is 1.1:100,000 men, whereas it is 126.5:100,000 in women (3).

Method

Incidence of male breast cancer in Nepal’s tertiary cancer center over a 12 year period from 2010 to 2022 was examined and analyzed through annual reports and breast oncosurgery department patients record of B.P. Koirala Memorial Cancer Hospital, includes male breast cancer diagnosed yearly in comparison to female breast cancer.

Figure 1

Results

Total No of Male Breast Cancer patients = 179

Total No of Female Breast Cancer Patients = 5100

Male to Female ratio of Breast Cancer at 1:28.5

Figure 2

The average incidence of Male breast cancer observed from 2010 to 2022 at B.P. Koirala Memorial Cancer Hospital is 3.5 %.

Conclusion

Our observation study at tertiary cancer hospital concludes increasing incidence of male breast cancer and accounts for around 3.5% of all breast cancers diagnosed at B.P. Koirala Memorial Cancer Hospital. Study clearly demonstrated a rise in male breast cancer incidence in Nepal over the last 12 years. This study indicates a significant increase in male breast cancer; to diagnose patients in early stages adequate measures are needed along with an awareness program about male breast cancer in the general population. Further studies are required to gain a deeper understanding of the risk factors associated with male breast cancer in order to implement enhanced prevention policies for the well-being and early diagnosis of male breast cancer in Nepal.

Reference

1. Cao W, Chen HD, Yu YW, Li N, Chen WQ. Changing profiles of cancer burden worldwide and in China: a secondary analysis of the global cancer statistics 2020. Chin Med J (Engl). 2021 Apr 5;134(7):783–91.

2. Sung H, Ferlay J, Siegel RL, Laversanne M, Soerjomataram I, Jemal A, et al. Global Cancer Statistics 2020: GLOBOCAN Estimates of Incidence and Mortality Worldwide for 36 Cancers in 185 Countries. CA Cancer J Clin. 2021 May;71(3):209–49.

3. Gucalp A, Traina TA, Eisner JR, Parker JS, Selitsky SR, Park BH, et al. Male breast cancer: a disease distinct from female breast cancer. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2019 Jan;173(1):37–48.