Cutaneous lesions as a presenting sign of metastases in male breast cancer: a rare clinical entity

Male breast cancer accounts for only 1% of cancers in men and 1% of breast cancers. Cutaneous metastases occur less than 10% of all patients with visceral malignancies and are considered a rare and late event in progression of metastatic disease. A 45-year-old man presented with a lump in the left breast which was confirmed to be infiltrating ductal carcinoma. He underwent a left mastectomy and axillary clearance followed by chemotherapy and radiotherapy to the left chest wall. However, he was non-compliant to adjuvant tamoxifen due to hot flushes. One year later, he presented with biopsy proven cutaneous metastases. Initially he had complete excision of the lesions, however, two months later more skin lesions appeared predominantly over the chest wall and back. Hormonal therapy failed to control the metastases as such he was treated with systemic chemotherapy. He is currently on third line chemotherapy.