Yes, chemotherapy can be used to treat breast cancer in men. It may be used in one of two ways. In early breast cancer it can be given, to try to improve the chances of a cure. This is called adjuvant chemotherapy. It may also be given in advanced breast cancer (cancer that has spread outside the breast). In this situation it may be given to control the cancer and reduce symptoms.

In early breast cancer, chemotherapy is given to reduce the risk of cancer coming back after surgery. The risk of cancer coming back is greater with larger tumours, tumours that are higher grade (the cells look less like normal cells under the microscope) or if the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes under the arm.  So, if the cancer is small, confined to the breast and low grade, chemotherapy is usually not necessary. If the cancer is large, higher grade or has spread to nearby lymph nodes chemotherapy increases the possibility of curing the disease.

Chemotherapy is sometimes given before surgery (neoadjuvant chemotherapy) to shrink the tumour and make it more likely that a smaller operation can be performed. It may also be used for men who have been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer known as inflammatory breast cancer.

The types of chemotherapy used to treat breast cancer in men are the same as those used to treat breast cancer in women.