Breast cancer in men is quite uncommon. Less than 1% of breast cancers occur in men.

This means there is not as much information about it as there is about breast cancer in women. However, a recent study investigated the risk of men who had previously had breast cancer developing another primary or different cancer.

This study looked at the medical records of almost 1800 men treated for breast cancer between 1973 and 1996. It discovered that men who had a breast cancer did have an increased risk of getting a new and separate primary cancer in their other breast, when compared to men who had never had breast cancer. But even though this risk was increased, only 12 men in the study developed breast cancer in their other breast. Therefore the risk of this occurring is relatively small.

Apart from this small risk of a second new breast cancer the study showed that overall men with a previous breast cancer were at no greater risk of getting other different cancers than the rest of the male population.

So these results are very reassuring, showing that the chances of developing another different cancer are not increased and the risk of developing a cancer in the other breast is very small.

Men who have had a primary breast cancer are at risk of developing secondaries from the breast cancer in other parts of the body. The extent of that risk will depend of many factors, including the size and grade of the cancer and whether or not the lymph glands are involved.

Reference:

• Risk of subsequent cancer following breast cancer in men. Anssi Auvinen et al. Journal of the National Cancer Institute, vol 94, no 17, 2002 pp1330-2.