Primary Peritoneal Serous Carcinoma in Men: A Rare and Non- BRCA-associated Entity

Abstract

Background: Primary peritoneal serous carcinoma (PPSC) is a rare neoplasm. The paucity of reported cases among men may provide insight to the cell of origin of PPSC.

Materials and methods: A search for the ICD 0-3 code of PPSC (C48.2) in the following datasets: the Israeli National Cancer registry (INCR), the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database in the USA, Israeli male BRCA carriers, male high-risk and BRCA carriers in a USA study, and the Italian Study on Male Breast Cancer (MBC) were performed.

Results: In the INCR dataset, 220 entries for C48.2 code were noted, with only one male (male:female ratio=0.0045). In the SEER dataset for histology codes of papillary/serous/ adenocarcinoma, 2,673 cases were recorded, with five males (male:female ratio=0.0018). None of the recorded US or Italian male BRCA carriers or MBC, or Israeli male BRCA carriers was diagnosed with PPSC.

Conclusion: PPSC is a rare neoplasm, seemingly not associated with BRCA mutations in men, and fallopian tube epithelial cell implants may contribute to its development.

Keywords: PPSC; Primary peritoneal serous carcinoma; cancer risk; male BRCA mutations; ovarian cancer.