Trends in Breast Cancer Mortality Among Elderly Males in the United States (1999–2020): A CDC WONDER Analysis

Purpose: While male breast cancer (MBC) is rare, existing studies often exclude elderly males or lack detailed analysis by demographic and geographic factors. Our purpose was to evaluate mortality trends in elderly males (≥65 years) with breast cancer from 1999–2020 by various demographics Methodology: Death certificate data (1999-2020) from the CDC WONDER database were examined for MBC-related mortality in males aged ≥65 years using ICD-10 codes, C50.0 to C50.9. Age-adjusted mortality rates (AAMR) per million persons (95% CIs) were calculated, and the Joinpoint Regression model was used to calculate the annual percentage change (APC). Results: The overall APC was -1.29 (95% CI: -1.85 to -0.71), and a total of 8780 deaths from 1999 to 2020 were reported. The AAMR decreased from 25.0 in 1999 to 23.0 in 2020 for non-Hispanic White elderly males, marking a significant drop of 1.22% (95% CI:-1.76 to -0.65)in mortality per year. In contrast, annual mortality among non-Hispanic Black or African American patients showed a non-significant decrease of 0.71% (95% CI: -2.06 to -0.88). Geographically, the highest total AAMRs were observed in rural areas, the Northeast region, and Rhode Island, while the lowest in urban areas, the West, and Hawaii. Conclusion: Overall mortality has significantly dropped over the last two decades. The disparity between the races may be attributed to various factors such as genetic differences and socioeconomic factors. These results highlight the need for further research into the observed disparities and for more screening, public awareness, and male-oriented clinical trials.