Introduction
Breast cancer in men is rare accounting for less than 1% of all breast cancers in the United States.1–3 Given the rarity of this disease, there are significant knowledge gaps pertaining to the management of breast cancer in men, and even more so when assessing the impact of race and other health disparities. The literature as it stands today consists only of small, single-institution retrospective case series and many of the clinical decisions regarding the management of breast cancer in men are not derived from randomized clinical trials but rather are interpolated from breast studies in women.4This poses a challenge as it has been noted that the presentation amongst men and women differ significantly with men presenting at an older age, with an average of 67 years compared to 62 years in women, more advanced stage, and lower overall survival.5 The known risk factors associated with male breast cancer include family history of breast cancer, black or African ancestry, radiation exposure, predisposition to germline genetic mutation, and hypoestrogenism.5 Here, we report an unusual finding of DCIS within a cystic lesion in an elderly black man with a delay in diagnosis. This case highlights the need for adequate workup with diagnostic imaging and timely follow-up for men with breast/chest wall masses to rule out a malignancy given the lack of screening in this population. Furthermore, we will explore how race contributes to prognosis and health outcomes.