Although there is evidence supporting gender differences in breast cancer, such as biological characteristics, due to the uncommon occurrence of male breast cancer, treatment recommendations for male breast cancer patients largely mirror recommended treatment for females.

By analyzing an Australian dataset of patients with early breast cancer (including ductal carcinoma in situ, DCIS) for demographic, pathological and treatment information. The primary objective was to compare treatment delivery for males versus females.

Australian data from the BreastSurgANZ (Breast Surgeons of Australia and New Zealand) Quality Audit (BQA) from 1 October 2006 and 30 September 2016 were analyzed. Demographic and pathologic information was obtained and compared between males and females. Treatment recommendations were compared to BreastSurgANZ Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines to assess for adherence to national and international guidelines, respectively.

Australian males with breast cancer account for 0.6% of breast cancer incidence and have similar clinico-pathological features as reported internationally. Overall, there is good compliance with the surgical KPIs, and adherence to NCCN guidelines for adjuvant systemic treatment is similar to previous international studies.