There are different types of treatment options for men with breast cancer.
There are different types of treatments available for men with breast cancer, some of which are standard (the treatments being used today) and some of which are in the testing phase of clinical trials. A clinical trial of a treatment is a research tool designed to help improve an existing treatment or to obtain information about a new treatment for cancer patients. When a clinical trial shows that a new treatment is superior to a standard treatment, the new treatment may become the standard treatment.
For some patients, participation in a clinical trial may be the best treatment option. Many of today’s standard treatments for cancer are based on earlier clinical trials, and patients who participate in clinical trials may receive standard treatments or be among the first to receive standard treatments.
Patients who participate in clinical trials also contribute to future improvements in cancer treatments, often answering important questions and advancing research even when clinical trials do not produce effective novel treatments.
Some clinical trials include only untreated patients, others are for cancer patients who do not show improvement. There are also clinical trials designed to test new ways to prevent cancer recurrence or to reduce the side effects of cancer treatment.
Clinical trials are being conducted in many areas. There is a lot of information about ongoing clinical trials on the NCI website. Choosing the best cancer treatment is theoretically a decision that involves the patient, his or her family and the health care team.
There are five standard treatments for male breast cancer.
Surgery
Surgery to treat male breast cancer is usually modified radical surgery (removal of multiple lymph nodes in the breast, axilla, the muscular membrane of the chest, and sometimes part of the chest wall muscle).
Modified radical surgery. The dotted line shows where the entire breast and some lymph nodes are removed. Some of the chest wall muscle may also be removed.
Breast-conserving surgery, a procedure that removes the cancer but not the breast, may also be used for some men with breast cancer. Mastectomy is used to remove the tumor (lump) and a small amount of surrounding normal tissue, and radiation therapy is given after the surgery to kill any remaining cancer cells.
Mastectomy to preserve the breast. The dotted line shows the area of the tumor that was removed and the area of some lymph nodes that may have been removed.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is a cancer treatment that uses drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells, or to kill cancer cells, or to stop cancer cells from dividing. When given by mouth or intravenously or intramuscularly, the drugs enter the bloodstream and can reach cancer cells throughout the body (systemic chemotherapy). When chemotherapy is given directly into the cerebrospinal fluid, organs, or body cavities such as the abdomen, the drug works primarily on cancer cells in these areas (local chemotherapy).
The way chemotherapy is administered depends on the staging and staging of the cancer treatment. Systemic chemotherapy is used to treat male breast cancer.
For more information, see approved drugs for breast cancer
Hormone therapy
Hormone therapy is a cancer treatment that removes or blocks the action of hormones and stops the growth of cancer cells. Hormones are substances that are produced by glands in the body and circulate in the bloodstream.
For patients with estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor-positive breast cancer and for patients with metastatic breast cancer (where the cancer has spread to other parts of the body), hormone therapy with tamoxifen is often used.
Some men with metastatic breast cancer receive hormone therapy with aromatase inhibitors. Aromatase inhibitors lower estrogen in the body by stopping an enzyme called aromatase from converting androgens to estrogen. Anastrozole, letrozole and exemestane are aromatase inhibitors.
Hormone therapy with luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) agonists is used in some men with metastatic breast cancer. LHRH agonists affect the pituitary gland, which controls how much testosterone is produced by the testes. In men taking LHRH agonists, the pituitary gland causes the testes to produce less testosterone. Leuprolide and goserelin are two LHRH agonists.
Other types of hormone therapy include medroxyprogesterone acetate or anti-estrogen therapy, such as fulvestrant.
For more information, see approved drugs for breast cancer
Radiation therapy
Radiation therapy is a type of cancer treatment that uses high-energy x-rays or other types of radiation to kill cancer cells or stop them from growing. There are two types of radiation therapy:
- External radiation therapy uses a machine outside the body to send radiation to the cancer site.
- Internal radiation therapy seals a radioactive substance in a needle, seed, wire, or catheter and places it directly in or near the cancer site. The type of radiation therapy depends on the staging and stage of the cancer. External radiation therapy is used to treat male breast cancer.
Targeted therapy
Targeted therapy is a treatment that uses drugs or other substances to identify and attack specific cancer cells without harming normal cells. Monoclonal antibody therapy, tyrosine kinase inhibitors, cyclin protein-dependent kinase inhibitors, and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitors are types of targeted therapy used to treat male breast cancer.
Monoclonal antibody therapy uses antibodies made in the laboratory (from a single type of immune system cell) that recognize substances on cancer cells or normal substances that contribute to the growth of cancer cells; the antibodies attach to these substances and kill the cancer cells, blocking their growth or stopping their spread. Monoclonal antibodies enter the body by infusion. Monoclonal antibodies may be used alone or carry drugs, toxins, or radioactive substances that target cancer cells directly. Monoclonal antibodies are also used with chemotherapy as an adjuvant treatment (a treatment given after surgery to reduce the recurrence of cancer is carried out).
Types of monoclonal antibody therapy include: - Trastuzumab is a monoclonal antibody that blocks the action of the growth factor protein HER2.
- Patuximab is a monoclonal antibody that can be used in combination with trastuzumab and chemotherapy to treat breast cancer.
- Trastuzumab-metanephrine coupling is a monoclonal antibody that is coupled to an anti-cancer drug. This is called an antibody-drug coupling. It may be used to treat male breast cancer patients who are hormone receptor positive and have spread to other parts of the body. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors are targeted therapy drugs that block the signals needed for tumor growth. Lapatinib is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor that can be used to treat men with metastatic breast cancer.
Cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors are targeted therapy drugs that block a protein called cyclin-dependent kinase, which drives the growth of cancer cells. Paboxinib is a cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor that is used to treat men with metastatic breast cancer.
Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitors block a protein called mTOR, which stops the growth of cancer cells and prevents the production of new blood vessels needed for tumor growth.
For more information, see Approved drugs for breast cancer
Treatment for male breast cancer may have side effects
For information about side effects of cancer treatment, see our side effects page.