Background and Aims Male breast cancer is a considerably rare disease, and usually diagnosed at an advanced stage with a dismal prognosis. Currently, its treatment generally follows that for female breast cancer. Here, the authors discuss the clinical characteristics as well as the diagnosis and treatment of this disease through a retrospective analysis of male breast cancer cases.Methods The clinical features, pathological manifestations, treatment and follow-up of 35 male breast cancer patients admitted in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University from March 2003 to June 2019 were retrospectively analyzed.Results In the entire group of patients, no distant metastasis was found at admission, the median age was 65 years, and the main clinical manifestation was painless breast mass. All patients received surgical treatment. Only two patients (5.7%) had partial mastectomy, and the remaining cases underwent total mastectomy or more extensive surgery. Eighteen patients (51.4%) received adjuvant chemotherapy, 4 patients (11.4%) received adjuvant radiotherapy, and 17 patients (48.6%) received adjuvant endocrine therapy. Thirty cases (85.7%) were pathologically diagnosed as invasive ductal carcinoma. Follow-up was obtained in all patients, and the 5-year overall survival rate was 83.4%.Conclusion Strengthening the knowledge about male breast cancer, so as to achieve early diagnosis and perform comprehensive treatment based on surgery is particularly important. The diagnosis and treatment of this disease still need further improved and standardized.