Background: 1% of breast cancers occur in men. The etiology is obscure. An elevated BMI has been postulated to be a cause.
Methods: All male breast cancer patients operated from January 1990 to May 2001 were retrospectively reviewed. Relation between BMI and male breast cancer was examined.
Results: 43 males underwent breast surgery for breast cancer during this period. 3 patients were excluded from the study because of other risk factors for breast cancer. The average BMI of 40 patients was 26.54 kg/m2, which is mildly above the level for normal weight.
Conclusions: Excessive adipose tissue may increase risk of male breast cancer.