Cancer
Return a Concern for Men with Breast Cancer
Men who have breast cancer have a significantly increased
risk of a second cancer, according to a report in the journal Breast
Cancer Research.
"We looked at the risk not only of a second breast cancer
but also of other cancers," says lead researcher Hoda Anton-Culver, Ph.D.,
director of epidemiology at the University of California at Irvine.
"We found the risk of other cancers increased as well," Dr.
Anton-Culver says.
Breast cancer remains rare among men. Only about 1 percent
of breast cancers are diagnosed in men, but some 1,400 new cases are reported
in the United States each year, according to the American
Cancer Society (ACS).
Because
of the relatively small incidence of male breast cancer, "not one study until now has looked at large numbers," Dr.
Anton-Culver says.
However, "Our study looks at a very large number of men," she
says, "so there can be validity to large numbers of a rare cancer like this
one."
The researchers analyzed data from the California Cancer
Registry on 1,926 men who developed breast cancer from 1988 to 2003.
Of these, 221, or 11.5 percent, went on to develop a second
cancer at least two months after their breast cancer diagnosis.
One significant second cancer in the group was malignant
melanoma, with an incidence that was 50 percent higher than normal, she says.
There was also an elevated risk of stomach cancer.
There are several possible explanations for the increased
risk, notes Dr. Anton-Culver. It might be due to the side effects of treatment
of the primary breast cancer, for example.
But the
most probable cause is genetics, she says, with the men being at "higher
risk of developing cancer in general."
And studies by the group have shown a high incidence of
a breast cancer-related gene, BRCA2, in the men, says Dr. Anton-Culver.
The findings could have a very practical application in
terms of screening, she explains. Her group has been collecting family histories
of men with breast cancer, in collaboration with British researchers.
"We definitely do see an association between breast cancer
in men and an increased risk of being a carrier of a cancer-related gene," says
Dr. Anton-Culver.
That relationship indicates that a screening program looking
at close relatives of men with breast cancer could help with the early detection
of malignancies.
"Once you have a man with breast cancer, you have a great
target for screening," says Dr. Anton-Culver.
Always consult your physician for more information.
|
