"The marginalized": A qualitative review of the illness experiences and psychological experiences of male breast cancer patients.

PURPOSE: Male breast cancer (MBC) is a rare malignancy. Unlike female breast cancer, existing research has focused largely on clinical treatment, leaving patients'illness experiences, social support, and care needs understudied. This study aimed to synthesize qualitative evidence on MBC patients' illness and psychological experiences to inform patient-centred nursing interventions. METHOD: A comprehensive search was conducted across five databases (PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and CINAHL) for studies published in English from database creation to June 2025.The Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) qualitative synthesis method was used to assess study quality and synthesize the findings. RESULTS: A total of 16 studies were included, and four themes were identified: patients with MBC experience substantial stress after diagnosis; they experience emotional changes during the disease course; they employ a myriad of strategies to cope with stress; and they are committed to self-reconstruction following the illness. CONCLUSIONS: MBC survivors face challenges related to information support, physical health, mental health, and finances during diagnosis, treatment, and care. Support programs for survivors should be multifaceted. We recommend multistakeholder collaboration to establish effective support and intervention strategies for reducing mortality rates, improving cure rates, enhancing the quality of care, and ultimately improving the quality of life for MBC survivors.