[Breast cancer in males: a study of 15 cases of pure ductal carcinoma in situ].

Ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast is very rare in men, representing 0-7% of all male breast cancers. We analysed 15 cases from a retrospective multicentric series of 404 patients (3.7%). It occurs earlier than infiltrating carcinoma (mean age: 55 years), sometimes before 40 years of age. The main symptoms are bloody nipple discharge or retro areolar mass. Modified radical mastectomy constitutes the basic treatment. Lower axillary dissection can eventually be indicated in comedocarcinoma or in tumors larger than 25 mm. The main histologic subgroup is papillary carcinoma, pure or intracystic. As is the case in women, local recurrence, invasive or not, rarely occurs. Theoretically, the cure rate approaches 100%. However, as in all cases of breast cancer in men, an important number of deaths due to secondary cancer or intercurrent disease have been noted. Until now, no clear etiologic factors have been found.