Male Breast Cancer Cases Up Worldwide

Cases of breast cancer in men around the world more than doubled between 1990 and 2021, according to a study published in Clinical Breast Cancer.

Researchers analyzed information in the Global Burden of Disease database, which contains data on 371 illnesses in 204 countries.

In 2021, there were nearly 20,750 cases of breast cancer in men between the ages of 15 and 64, a 272% increase from 1990.

Because breast cancer is more likely to be diagnosed in older men, the researchers also calculated the age-standardized incidence rate of male breast cancer. This adjustment accounts for the differences in the ages of the groups being compared. The age-standardized incidence rate of breast cancer among men increased from 0.40 per 100,000 men in 1990 to 0.77 per 100,000 men in 2021.

More men are also dying from breast cancer. The rate of men dying from breast cancer rose from 0.18 men per 100,000 in 1990 to 0.22 men per 100,000 in 2021.

The researchers also analyzed risk factors and found that among men diagnosed with breast cancer, eating a lot of red meat was the top factor linked to breast cancer death, followed by drinking alcohol and exposure to secondhand smoke.

The researchers said the study results underscore the need to create strategies to lower the overall risk of male breast cancer and address specific risk factors that can be modified.