Burden of male breast cancer in Europe from 1990 to 2023: results from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2023

Male breast cancer (MaBC) is underrepresented in cancer statistics. Analysis of data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study 2023 determined the MaBC incidence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life years in Eastern, Central, and Western European regions from 1990 to 2023. In Central Europe, age-standardized incidence rates (ASIR) increased from 0.54 (0.40-0.76) to 1.05 (0.70-1.52), wherease age-standardized mortality rates (ASMR) increased from 0.29 (0.25-0.34) to 0.40 (0.36-0.45), and age-standardized disability life year rates (ASDR) from 7.19 (6.15-8.41) to 9.63 (8.52-11.07). In Eastern Europe, ASIR remained relatively stable, changing from 0.81 (0.56-1.19) to 0.60 ((0.38-0.92), whereas ASMR decreased from 0.40 (0.33-0.49) to 0.21 (0.16-0.25), and ASDR from 10.54 (8.69-12.89) to 5.55 (4.52-6.85). In Western Europe, ASIR increased from 0.47 (0.33-0.67) to 0.88 (0.59-1.24), whereas ASMR remained stable from 0.22 (0,19-0.25) to 0.24 (0.21-0.70) as did ASDR from 5.20 (4.59-5.97) to 5.75 (4.96-6.66). The authors conclude that the burden of MaBC is increasing across Europe, particularly in the central region, with hughe regional differences. The mortality-to-incidence ratio markedly declined in the three areas.