TriangleHEALTH PROFESSIONAL · SOURCE READING
Adjuvant Therapy
Source: Male Breast Cancer Treatment (PDQ®)–Health Professional Version, National Cancer Institute.
Source updated: February 28, 2025 · Captured 2026-09-09.
Selected source text with whitespace normalised. This Triangle page is not an NCI PDQ summary.
Context: Treatment of Early/Localized/Operable Male Breast Cancer
The optimal systemic treatment in men with breast cancer has not been studied in randomized clinical trials. Adjuvant therapy should be administered according to the same criteria used for women. Adjuvant therapies used to treat early/localized/operable male breast cancer are outlined in Table 2. For more information, see the Systemic Therapy for Stages I, II, and III Breast Cancer section in Breast Cancer Treatment.
Source links and citations
| Type of Adjuvant Therapy | Agents Used |
|---|---|
| HER2 = human epidermal growth factor receptor 2; LHRH = luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone. | |
| Chemotherapy | Docetaxel and cyclophosphamide |
| Doxorubicin plus cyclophosphamide with or without paclitaxel | |
| Endocrine therapy | Tamoxifen [5] |
| Aromatase inhibitors with LHRH agonist [5-9] | |
| HER2-directed therapy | Trastuzumab [1,5] |
| Pertuzumab | |
Tamoxifen
Evidence (tamoxifen):
A retrospective analysis of 257 men with stage I to stage III breast cancer included 50 men who were treated with an aromatase inhibitor (AI) and 207 men who were treated with tamoxifen.[10]
Source links and citations
A retrospective analysis of 257 men with stage I to stage III breast cancer included 50 men who were treated with an aromatase inhibitor (AI) and 207 men who were treated with tamoxifen.[10]
With a median follow-up of 42 months, treatment with an AI was associated with a higher risk of death compared with tamoxifen (32% with AI vs. 18% with tamoxifen; hazard ratio, 1.55; 95% confidence interval, 1.13–2.13).
In men with contraindications for tamoxifen, single-agent AI therapy is not recommended. AIs should be combined with gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) analogues.[6]
Source links and citations
In male breast cancer patients, tamoxifen use is associated with a high rate of treatment-limiting symptoms such as hot flashes and impotence.[11]
Source links and citations
The German Breast Group conducted a randomized phase II clinical trial (NCT01638247) of tamoxifen with or without a GnRH analogue versus AI plus a GnRH analogue in men with early-stage, hormone receptor–positive breast cancer. Results of this trial are pending.
Source links and citations
Studies cited in this source section
Source citation is not a determination that a study applies to you.
Publication references
Read the original reference and check its publication notices.
Preserved source evidence · Not medical advice