Time Trends in Male Breast Cancer Incidence, Mortality, and Survival in Austria (1983–2017)

Lazo Ilic,1,2 Judit Simon,1 Monika Hackl,3 Gerald Haidinger2 1Department of Health Economics, Center for Public Health, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; 2Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Center for Public Health, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; 3Austrian National Cancer Registry, Statistics Austria, Vienna, AustriaCorrespondence: Lazo Ilic, Department of Health Economics, Center for Public Health, Medical University of Vienna, Kinderspitalgasse 15, 1090, Vienna, Austria, Tel +43 1 40160 – 34885, Email lazo.ilic@meduniwien.ac.atBackground: Male breast cancer (MBC) comprises less than 1% of all breast cancer cases globally and remains understudied with persisting sex-specific survival disadvantages. We aim to contribute to better understanding of MBC with a comprehensive analysis of time-trends over several decades in Austria.Methods: We used Austrian National Cancer Registry data on 1648 cases of MBC cases diagnosed between 1983 and 2017 in Austria. Overall incidence, mortality, and survival rates, as well as age-, stage-, and period-specific incidence and survival rates were calculated. Joinpoint regression was performed to assess trends.Results: MBC incidence rates increased throughout the whole observation period (1983– 2017) with an annual percent change (APC) of 1.44% (95% confidence interval, CI: 0.77 to 2.11). During the same period, morality rates were stable (APC: – 0.25, 95% CI: – 0.53 to 0.60). Ten-year survival rates showed three phases of decreasing increases with an average APC of 2.45%, 1983– 2009 (95% CI: 2.1 to 2.74). Five-year survival rates improved until 2000 (APC: 2.31, 95% CI: 1.34 to 3.30) and remained stable thereafter (APC: 0.10, 95% CI: – 0.61 to 0.80). Stage-specific analyses showed a single trend of stable incidence rates of distant disease MBC (APC: – 0.03, 95% CI: – 1.67 to 1.65). Further, we observed increases in localised, regional, and unknown stage cancer incidence and increas