Male breast cancer networking and telephone support group: a model for supporting a unique population

TLDR: Optimal symptom management strategies are uncertain, and it can be difficult for men to find other male patients who can advise them on what to expect during and after breast cancer treatment.

Abstract: Breast cancer is diagnosed in 2000 men and nearly 200,000 women in the USA annually [1]. Ninety-nine percent of breast cancers are diagnosed in women in this country, so the clinical, research, and advocacy efforts around breast cancer have been primarily focused on women [2]. Treatment decisions for men are extrapolated from data in women because there has never been a successful randomized clinical trial that studied male breast cancer specifically, mostly due to the comparative rarity of male patients. Even large referral centers in the USA usually see fewer than 50 male patients with new breast cancers annually. Pink ribbons and T-shirts have successfully increased breast cancer awareness and helped to raise money for breast cancer research, but also serve as visual reminders that breast cancer is seen as a women’s disease. The strong association between breast cancer and female gender may cause distress for men with the disease. Furthermore, aspects of their clinical care such as questionnaires asking about menstrual functioning and clinical trials that exclude males may heighten these feelings. Online or in-clinic educational materials about management of breast cancer treatment side effects (e.g., vaginal dryness) may not be applicable to them. An online survey of 42 male breast cancer survivors revealed inferior quality of life scores in the participating male breast cancer survivors than would have been expected in the general population of men [3]. Both hot flashes and sexual dysfunction were also noted as common in this population. Optimal symptom management strategies are uncertain, and it can be difficult for men to find other male patients who can advise them on what to expect during and after breast cancer treatment. Group structure and participation