Costa Rica: 70 men died of breast cancer in five years, Infobae reports
In short
Spanish-language outlet Infobae reported on 19 October that 70 men died of breast cancer in Costa Rica between 2021 and 2025, about 0.85% of the 8,237 breast cancer deaths in that period. Doctors quoted say the stereotype that it is a women's disease delays diagnosis in men.
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Seventy men died of breast cancer in Costa Rica over the past five years, the Spanish-language outlet Infobae (인포바에) reported on 19 October, local time. Citing government statistics, it said breast cancer caused 8,237 deaths in the country from 2021 to 2025, and 70 of them, about 0.85%, were men. That is an average of 14 deaths a year among men. [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]
Infobae pointed to the stereotype that breast cancer is a women's disease as a reason diagnosis is often late. Women are mostly diagnosed at stage 0 to 1, while men are frequently diagnosed at stage 2 to 4. Yonhap and Korea Economic Daily wrote that the later the diagnosis, the lower the five-year survival rate falls. [ 1 , 2 ]
Yader Sandoval (야데르 산도발), a gynecology professor at Hispanoamericana University, warned that men can get breast cancer and that not knowing this can delay diagnosis. He said a lump in the breast should be examined even if it is painless. Marni Ramos (마르니 라모스) of Costa Rica's social security agency said men, who are far fewer patients than women, see a doctor late, so diagnosis is often delayed. The experts cited say that because male breast cancer is rare and little known, changes in the breast are easily mistaken for other causes. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
The signs to watch for are a lump, changes to the nipple and skin deformation. Yonhap and Korea Economic Daily wrote that male breast cancer is neither more nor less aggressive than female breast cancer. They quoted Kathryn Ruddy (캐스린 루디), a Mayo Clinic oncologist in the US, as saying that at the same stage the prognosis is not worse than for women. Asia Economy likewise wrote that male breast cancer is not necessarily more aggressive or harder to treat. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Treatment is the same as for women, according to Yonhap and Korea Economic Daily. Surgery comes first, and chemotherapy and radiotherapy can be added depending on the stage and the cancer cells. [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]
Yonhap, Korea Economic Daily and Maeil Business also cited Globocan, a global cancer statistics body, for 2024. They gave about 2.43 million new breast cancer cases among men and women combined and 693,660 deaths, making breast cancer second among cancers by diagnoses and fourth as a cause of cancer death. Asia Economy gave similar figures but attributed them to the International Agency for Research on Cancer and described them as female breast cancer cases. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
Why it matters
The coverage uses the figures to urge men to have a breast lump checked even if it is painless. The documents say later diagnosis sharply lowers five-year survival, while treatment is the same as for women.
Key facts
- Government statistics cited by Infobae show 8,237 breast cancer deaths in Costa Rica from 2021 to 2025, of which 70 (about 0.85%) were men. [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]
- That averages 14 male breast cancer deaths a year. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Women are mostly diagnosed at stage 0 to 1, while men are often diagnosed at stage 2 to 4, Infobae reported. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Yader Sandoval (야데르 산도발), a gynecology professor at Hispanoamericana University, said men can get breast cancer and that a breast lump should be examined even if painless. [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]
- Kathryn Ruddy (캐스린 루디), a Mayo Clinic oncologist in the US, said that at the same stage the prognosis is not worse than for women. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Treatment is the same: surgery first, with chemotherapy or radiotherapy depending on stage and cell differentiation. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Warning signs named are lumps, nipple changes and skin deformation. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Infobae reported on 19 October (local time) that 70 men died of breast cancer in Costa Rica in 2021-2025, about 0.85% of 8,237 breast cancer deaths. [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]
- Doctors quoted say that seeing breast cancer as a women's disease delays men's diagnosis; Marni Ramos (마르니 라모스) of Costa Rica's social security agency said men go to the doctor late. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Male breast cancer is not more or less aggressive than female breast cancer, according to Yonhap and Korea Economic Daily; Asia Economy says it is not necessarily more aggressive or harder to treat. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Still unclear
- Which body produced the government statistics. Only Asia Economy names Costa Rica's national statistics office; the other outlets say only government statistics.
- The global Globocan figures for 2024. Yonhap, Korea Economic Daily and Maeil Business give about 2.43 million new cases and 693,660 deaths for men and women combined, while Asia Economy attributes about 2.43 million cases and about 694,000 deaths to the International Agency for Research on Cancer and describes them as women's cases.