John W. Nick, Edward J. Wilson, Bob Stafford, Walter Creekmore, David Eisenberg, Mark Eldridge, Jordan Konisky, Dave Lyons, Ken Graham, A Basic Soldier, Michael Cotler, and 
Mike Partain
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John W. Nick
A member of the New York Stock Exchange for 35 years, John Nick was a well-educated and respected man. Yet it was a lack of awareness that killed him.
John had a strong belief in God and his family. He was a successful businessman who enjoyed sharing his good fortune not only with his family and friends but also with those less fortunate than he had been. He gave from his heart and always with a smile.
At the age of 58 (in June 1991), John died of breast cancer. Six years before his death, he expressed concern for the inverted nipple on his right breast to a physician who told him not to worry about it. Two years later, another doctor told John not to worry, that it was "nothing." John never knew about male breast cancer, so he listened to his doctors and DID NOTHING.
In the following two years John began experiencing a discharge from his breast. He walked into another doctor's office in Port Washington, New York, who recognized the symptoms, diagnosed John with MALE BREAST CANCER, and scheduled him for an immediate mastectomy. Twenty of his lymph nodes tested positive for malignancy. John underwent six months of chemotherapy and was placed on a drug called Tamoxifen for a year, but the breast cancer spread to his bones.
John's death led his daughter, Nancy Nick, to launch a campaign to educate people about MALE BREAST CANCER -- the disease her father never knew a man could get.
John's Tissue Report:
John W. Nick Breast Cancer Tissue Report from St. Francis Hospital Roslyn, New York. Pathologist D. Mahapatro, M. D. Anagostopoulos,M.D.
July 13-1989 Age 56 years old Attending Physician Dr. Rogers
Clinical Diagnosis Right Breast
Macoscopic Examination: A. Right Breast: Recieved fresh is a right breast measuring 12x6x5 cm. An ellipse of skin is partially covering the breast measuring 11x7cm. The nipple is centrally located and appears subtracted. One serial sectioning of the breast, the nipple. The tumor appears to infiltrate the dermis and estenals 1 cm. from the deep resection line. Part of the tumor has been frozen. Frozen Section Diagnosis: Infiltrating Duct Cell Carconama involving the dermis. Submitted by DR. Agnagnostopoulos. Tissue fro estrogen and progestarone receptors has been taken and representative sections have been submitted. B. Lymph Node Masses from Levals One and Two: Recieved in formalin is a mass measuring 6 cm. in greatest dimension. On sectioning, matted lymph nodes replaced by tumor are seen. The tumor mass measures 4 cm. in greates dimensions. The tissue for estrogen and progesterone receptors has been taken and representative sections have been submitted.
Microsocopic Examination: Multiple sections reveal infiltrating duct cell carcinoma of breast. The tumor is composed of multiple small and large aggregates of round cuboidal cells, at places forming ducts. In the center of the tumor, extensive necrosis and sclerosis are noted. The tumor inflitrates into the dermis and also into the nipple and areola. Focally, the tumor cells are also present in the epidermis where ulceration is noted. Pervascular lymphatic invasion is identified. The section from axillary lymph nodes and matted gropps of axillary lymph nodes show extensive replacement by metastatic duct carcinoma. The tumor also infiltrates into fibroadipose tissue around the lymph nodes from axilla. The skin margin and posterior margin of resection of breast are free of pathological changes.
Pathological Diagnosis: Infiltrating Duct Carcinoma of Breast involving the nipple, areola and adjacent skin associated with Microscopic Paget's Disease, clinically right (2.5 cm in diameter) Metastatic Duct Carcinoma of Breast to 20 Axillary Lymph nodes and Aggregates Of Lymph Nodes with Fibrofatty Tissue Infiltration (5 mm. to 4 cm. in greatest diameter, B Right Mastectomy.
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Captain Edward J. Wilson, Alaska Airlines
Also read: Male Breast Cancer Often Misdiagnosed at FoxNews.com
T2,Nl,MO: Are these the codes for the engine stages on the Boeing 737-900? No, they are the codes that describe the stages for my breast cancer.
I am a 53 year old male airline pilot who recently underwent a left modified radical mastectomy for breast cancer.
While on a layover, I felt a stinging sensation under my left nipple. The sensation around my nipple disappeared the following day. A few months later I felt hardness in the same area, but it was not permanent. I inquired to my doctor about this problem. He informed me that it might be a condition called gynecomastia-enlargement of male breast tissue.
On my next physical I told my doctor that I wanted the tissue removed. I had the tissue removed and felt fine with just a little soreness under my nipple area. The following week I learned that the pathology report indicated cancerous cells. The news of this report was numbing and overwhelming. The report surprised my doctor, and he wanted to proceed with surgery as soon as possible. My first reaction was that I needed sometime to comprehend all of this, and I wanted to consult with other specialists regarding my cancer. The diagnosis revealed infiltrating ductal carcinoma, the most common type of breast cancer.
During the next two weeks I had several consultations with doctors and an oncologist regarding my case. The hardest day for me was the day that I went to pick up my pathology results from the lab. When I received the slides, I remember feeling the weight of a bowling ball in my hands. I went to my car and just sat for several minutes. The slides had a case number for identification, and I knew that this number was mine.
I underwent the modified radical mastectomy, and kept thinking about this very big word- MASTECTOMY, and what it meant. How would I look, and would I feel different? The surgery itself was fast and my entire family was there for support. The surgeons removed all of the remaining cancerous area along with five lymph nodes. Only one of the nodes was positive.
Once the surgery was complete, the road to recovery began. With the cancer removed and the pathology report verified, treatment options followed. My treatments consisted of 12 weeks of chemotherapy using two drugs, followed by 12 weeks with a different drug, in three-week intervals. My test revealed that I was estrogen receptor-positive. Approximately 85 percent of all male breast cancers are positive for this hormone. I continue with hormone therapy to help block the effects of estrogen in my body. An oncologist determined that I was not a candidate for radiation therapy.
The actor Richard Roundtree “Shaft,” underwent a mastectomy several years ago and has spoken about male breast cancer on several talk shows. His article in the April 24, 2000, issue of People magazine is a very interesting one. I have had the pleasure of corresponding with Mr. Roundtree via e-mail and telephone.
Male Breast Cancer is rare, but not as rare as one would think. I have been fortunate and will attest that; faith, family, and friends have been the cornerstone to my recovery.
This is my case; do not let it be yours. Early detection is the key!!!!
T2-tumor more than 2.0 cm but not more than 5.0 cm in greatest dimension - N1-axillary lymph nodes affected (one) - M0-No distant metastasis (spread)
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EJ's Story in Spanish:
Capitán Eduardo Wilson, Alaska Airlines
T2, N1, M0
¿Son éstos los códigos para las etapas del motor en el Boeing 737-900? No, éstos son los códigos que describen las etapas para mi cáncer del seno (mama). Soy un piloto de 53 años de línea aérea comercial y recientemente tuve una mastectomía radical modificada para cáncer del seno. Mientras pernoctaba durante uno de mis viajes, yo sentí una sensación bajo mi pezón izquierdo. La sensación alrededor de mi pezón desapareció al día siguiente. Unos pocos meses después yo sentí una dureza en la misma área, pero también desapareció. Le pregunté a mi médico acerca de ese problema. El me informó que quizás era una condición llamada ginecomastia, la ampliación del tejido masculino del seno.
Durante mi próximo examen físico le dije a mi médico que quería que me removieran ese tejido. Sacaron el tejido y me sentí bien con apenas una dolencia pequeña bajo el área del pezón. La semana siguiente fui informado que los resultados de la biopsia fueron positivos para células cancerosas. Las noticias de esa biopsia me estremecieron y me sentí agobiado. El informe sorprendió a mi médico, y él quiso avanzar con la cirugía lo más pronto posible. Mi primera reacción fue que yo necesitaba tiempo para comprender todo esto y para consultar con otros especialistas con respecto a mi cáncer. El diagnóstico reveló cáncer ductal infiltrante, el tipo más común del cáncer del seno. Durante las próximas dos semanas consulté a varios médicos y un oncólogo con respecto a mi caso. El día más duro para mí fue el día que fui a recoger mis resultados de la patología del laboratorio. Cuándo yo recibí los resultados, que incluían las laminillas de cristal, recuerdo haber sentido un enorme peso en mis manos. Fui a mi auto a reflexionar unos minutos, cuando me di cuenta que los resultados tenían un número y yo sabía que ese número correspondía a mi nombre.
La palabra MASTECTOMIA me tenía confundido, porque no entendía lo que significaba para mí como hombre. La cirugía era rápida y mi familia estaba allí para apoyarme. Los cirujanos quitaron toda el área cancerosa junto con cinco ganglios linfáticos. Sólo uno de los ganglios dio positivo. Despúes de la cirugía, comencé mi periodo de recuperación. Con el informe de la patología verificada, siguieron las opciones del tratamiento. Mis tratamientos consistieron en 12 semanas de quimioterapia con dos fármacos, seguido por 12 semanas con un fármaco diferente, en intervalos de tres semanas.
Mi prueba reveló que era receptor positivo de estrógeno. Aproximadamente 85% de todos cánceres masculinos del seno son positivos para esta hormona. Hoy sigo con terapia hormonal. Estoy usando fármacos que reducen la producción de estrógeno. Un oncólogo determinó que yo no era un candidato para la terapia de la radiación. El actor Richard Roundtree “Shaft,” tuvo una mastectomía y ha hablado públicamente acerca del cáncer masculino. Su artículo del 24 de abril de 2000, de la revista People es muy interesante. He tenido el placer de comunicarme con el vía correo electrónico y por teléfono. El cáncer masculino del seno es raro, pero no tan raro como uno pensaría. He sido muy afortunado pues he tenido el apoyo de toda mi familia, amigos, y compañeros del trabajo. Este es mi caso, que no sea tu caso. ¡La detección temprana es lo más importante!
T2-tumor mayor de 2.0 cm de tamaño, pero menor de 5.0 cm
N1-axilares afectados (uno)
M0-No metástasis a distancia
Para mas información sobre el cáncer del seno masculino, vaya a:
www.malebreastcancer.org, www.johnwnickfoundation.org, www.cancer.gov
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Bob Stafford
In 1998 it is estimated that 1600 new cases of male breast cancer will be diagnosed and 400 men will die from the disease this year. Not large numbers unless you're one of them. Whereas the numbers for women is decreasing the numbers for men steadily increases.
The mortality rate is higher for men for a couple reasons. First, we don't have the breast mass that women do therefore the cancer can spread more quickly into the chest cavity. Secondly, ignorance. The general population doesn't realize that men can get breast cancer. Doctors don't help this situation by telling men who are concerned about lumps in their chests that male breast cancer is rare and to just wait and see if the lump changes. This is deadly advice for a man. Many times then the cancer spreads and decreases the chance of catching the disease in time enough to help possibly save the man's life.
I was diagnosed in April of 1988. I was only 36 years old. I felt a very small lump in my right breast and asked my wife to confirm that something was there. Because of a strong family history of cancer on my mother's side I decided to see my family doctor right away. He checked for the lump and felt it too. He told me that breast cancer is rare in men but because of my family history he suggested I see a surgeon for a second opinion. When I met with the surgeon he too said breast cancer in men is rare but also that I was too young since breast cancer usually strikes older men in their 60s and 70s. He too said that because of my family history that maybe we should do a biopsy of the lump just to make sure it was benign. But it wasn't and so I was scheduled for surgery a couple days later. When I met with the surgeon later on he said I was in the record books and I became the talk of the local medical community for a few days. My lump was small enough that had I been a woman I would have never felt it where it was.
Then I was told that I should undergo chemotherapy because the National Cancer Institute had issued a bulletin to all oncologists telling them that everyone with breast cancer should have chemotherapy. So I had 6 treatments of CAF. And I also got a little disgusted with my oncologist because he spent more time reading my chart rather than talking with me. So I quit going to see him like he wanted.
In 1991 I started having pain in my right hip and left ribs. My family doctor and I agreed that it probably was arthritis and we treated it as such. But the pain increased to the point where my family doctor suggested that the cancer had spread to the bones. A bone scan was done and showed several "hot" spots, not necessarily cancer. The oncologist said he didn't want to see me again unless a biopsy was done to confirm the diagnosis. A couple days later I laid in the hospital getting a biopsy of my ribs. Sure enough, the cancer had reared its head again.
When the confirmation came that the cancer had spread to the bones the first order of business at that time was to be castrated to limit the amount of hormones produced by the body. This is no longer a general procedure. Whereas I should have gotten 18 months of remission I got four. 1992 was the year of hormone therapy for me. After having my testicles removed the doctor put me on Tamoxifen and then Megace. These are to limit the production of estrogen in the body. Even men's bodies produce some estrogen just as women's bodies produce small amounts of testosterone.
We discovered that hormone therapy didn't work well with me so I started back on chemotherapy on 1/20/93. I've had almost every chemotherapy available now and have run out of possibilities right now. I have been on CMF, Adriamycin, Taxol, Taxotere, Navelbine, Velban-Mytomycin, and recently a brand new called Xeloda. Now the doctor is looking to see if Herceptin may work in my case. This too is a brand new just released in September of 1998.
It is vitally important that men realize that this a potentially deadly disease that they can get. Breast cancer is NOT a woman's disease, it's a people's disease. The only cancer you cannot get are cancers for which you don't have the right body parts.
(Bob Stafford lost his fight with breast cancer on Sunday, December 13, 1998. He was 47 years old and had fought cancer for 10 years.)
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Walter Creekmore
Hello, My name is Skeet Creekmore. I am a breast/chest cancer survivor of four years and I, too, did not know that men could have it. That lack of information almost killed me. . . I had to have a radical, chemo, bone marrow transplant, and 33 radiation treatments. Thank God it worked! I am a well educated person with three masters degrees and a Ph.D., but I didn't have this knowledge - the result of which almost killed me.
It's nice to know that the John W. Nick Foundation exists. I am in a running battle with "ACS" and "Komen," as well as others, to plead for more information about male breast/chest cancer. Maybe one day.
I am the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research at Northeast Louisiana University and I must go and meet my Freshman class. Really looking forward to it. Isn't life great? Have a wonderful day and as my grandfather used to say, "Keep a smile on your face, a song in your heart, and a quarter in your pocket." (You can tell how old that saying is.) Male breast cancer. Many more will have it and not know it.
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David Eisenberg
My name is David Eisenberg. I have breast cancer and had a mastectomy in November 1997. I am 70 so perhaps I can be philosophical about this. What I can't be philosophical about is the ignorance that abounds, not only among the general public, but among medical professionals. Since I've been 50, I get a complete physical every year. I had one in Sept. of 1995 and I told my internist that I had noticed a lump on my left breast. He palpitated it and told me it was nothing, probably a cyst, and I could forget it. I want to say that he isn't a quack, but a respected and good doctor that my wife and I still use. In my exam of 1996, he noticed a slight rise in my PSA and sent me to a urologist - he felt it was probably unimportant, but should not be overlooked. A biopsy of the prostate was negative.
In September of 1997, the internist noticed a suspicious lump in my left armpit and, since I was slightly anemic, sent me to a hematologist. The hematologist (who, by the way, is in a group practice with oncologists), told me I might have non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and sent me to a surgeon to have the lump removed. The surgeon examined me and told me he thought I had breast cancer and wanted an authorization to do a biopsy and, if necessary, a mastectomy while he removed the lump. I asked why he thought I had breast cancer and he told me all of the signs were there: a lump, an inverted nipple, and dimpling of the breast. I called the hematologist after I saw the surgeon and he said, honestly, "I missed it." He missed it because, even though I had an enlarged lymph gland under my arm, he never really looked at my breast. Unfortunately, in addition to the mastectomy, over 30 lymph nodes were involved. I've completed ten chemo sessions and have two to go. They'll be followed by radiation. Fortunately, I've taken chemo well - no nausea, very few side effects except loss of hair, and I didn't have much to lose. I have had a slight decrease in energy, but I had more than normal energy to start with. I still bike, swim, and work out.
Since the mastectomy, I've discovered that many doctors aren't aware that men can get breast cancer. Some who are aware of it in theory, have told me they've never seen a case and might overlook it. I've been trying, not too sucessfully, to spread the word. I've sent articles to magazines, articles to my local paper, and letters to the Health Editor. Although I haven't been very successful, I'll keep trying. I hope to see a time when doctors consider the possibility in younger men like Dave Lyons. He's fortunate in that the cancer hadn't spread. An unfortunate consequence of the medical ignorance is that, usually, male breast cancer is caught at a much later stage than it is in women.
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Mark Eldridge
My name is Mark Eldridge. I am a 42 year old self-employed CPA, with a wife and 3 beautiful daughters ages 11, 9, and 3, and I am a male breast cancer survivor. I have always been fairly active and aware of my body, but did not think much of it when I noticed my left nipple had inverted in August, 1998. Men's bodies are all different and I thought it was just a sign of growing older.
I have been on medication for high pressure for several years and became annoyed when my physician refused to refill my prescription without me coming in for a checkup. It was February and my work as a CPA was just starting to up with tax season. I realized that this was my high stress time of the year and that I better go in. I arrived at the doctor's office and waited for 45 minutes before seeing Kate, a physician's assistant. I was mad because the room was cold and I had appointments later in the day. I came very close to walking out of the office. Kate performed a mini-physical before she agreed to refill my prescription. By now I had calmed down somewhat and as she was leaving I mentioned to her the change I had noticed in my nipple. She examined me and had me lie down while she pressed against my breast and found a lump, something I had never noticed. She made an immediate appointment for me to go have a mammogram.
Two days I returned to her office to review the results. She told me that there was definitely something there and that I needed to have it taken care of immediately. This was the first time I learned that men can have breast cancer too. In hind sight I feel extremely blessed that I was examined by someone who realized that breast cancer can affect men and found the lump.
Early the next week, I met with a surgeon who specialized in breast cancer. I felt out of place in the Breast Center Clinic being the only man in a pink room obviously designed for women. The surgeon performed a biopsy and based on the results, we scheduled surgery for the next week. The surgeon decided it would be prudent to remove two groups on lymph nodes for examination to see if the cancer had spread. I found out later that this was because male breast cancer is usually not detected early has normally spread by the time it is noticed.
I had surgery one week later, on March 2, 1999. The doctor removed a 2 cm lump along with the and surrounding tissue. The incision ran from my breastbone to under my arm. Fortunately, the lymph nodes came back cancer free.
Having surgery during my busiest time of the year was not something I had planned on. It was only with the support and patience of my family, friends, and clients that my business was able to survive.
After consulting with my surgeon and oncologist, my wife and I decided to be aggressive in the follow-up treatment and undergo chemotherapy. It was during my first meeting with my oncologist that the word “cancer” was first used. I found this more traumatic than the surgery. I had my first chemotherapy treatment on April 5, 1999, followed by three more sessions three weeks apart. During this period I lost my hair along with about 30 pounds. As the chemo went on I grew more and more tired and missed more and more work. Again, I am very thankful to those that helped me during this time. I also experienced clots around my portacath, which required medication to dissolve.
My oncologist has put me on Tamoxifen for the next five years.
As I previously mentioned I feel extremely blessed with the care I have received, especially from Kate, my physician assistant, who examined me and found the lump. Hopefully, my story with help other men realize that male breast cancer does exist and can effect them.
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Jordan Konisky
In May 2001, the woman who cuts my hair asked me why it had been over six weeks since I had come by for my haircut. I told her that I had had some surgery, and she asked what kind. When I responded “a mastectomy for breast cancer” she gave a laugh, but quickly realized that I was serious. She was surprised, and so was I.
I have always been in excellent health and have exercised regularly my entire life. While I was as aware as the next person that I might someday have to deal with cancer, breast cancer was not on my radar screen. In late September 2000, I noticed a small blood stain on my shirt, and tracked its source to my right nipple -- no lumps, no soreness, and no discomfort of any kind. I was in great shape and had an uneventful annual physical the previous August. The bleeding, which was no more then a drop a day, continued for about two weeks and then stopped. While I had read on the Internet that nipple discharge could be a symptom of breast cancer, there were other possibilities that seemed more plausible, or at least more comforting. Anyway, the bleeding had ceased. I felt that the episode was behind me.
In February 2001, I was swimming 3-4 days a week and well on my way to reaching my goal of swimming a mile on my upcoming 60th birthday in April. Then the bleeding returned. Sometimes the blood was bright red and other times a more amber color - again, no more then a drop a day as evidenced by a small stain on my band-aid. I was able to squeeze a drop out by squeezing my nipple, and the discharge seemed to come directly out of the nipple center. There was no evidence of any lumps in either breast, and there was no discomfort. Clearly, it was time to visit my primary care physician.
My mammogram (an interesting experience in itself) showed no obvious disease with the exception of the presence of four or five coarse crystals under my right nipple. While such calcium deposits are neither cancer nor tumors, they are signs of changes within the breast, and certain patterns of calcifications can be associated with cancer or benign breast disease. In her report, the radiologist mentioned that an intraductal papilloma (a benign tumor within a duct) could cause this appearance. She went on to conclude that “neoplasm is of relatively low probability but cannot be ruled out and biopsy is suggested if clinically indicated.”
On a Thursday morning two weeks after my mammogram, I underwent a breast tissue biopsy in the region of the calcifications, and my family and I began our anxious wait for the pathology report. Early the following week, my surgeon called with the bad news that my biopsy showed the presence of cancer, and that he needed to remove more breast tissue. We set up a time to meet the next day. I was stunned, but surprisingly calm. I turned to my wife Judy, “I have breast cancer.”
The good news that next day was that my cancer, an infiltrating carcinoma, was only 0.3 cm in size, the cells were well differentiated, and the margins were clean. Pre-stage 1 was the nomenclature used. No sign of spreading, but then again “no sign” leads to hope, not to the relief of fear for what may lie ahead. A few days later, eight days after my biopsy, I underwent a modified radical mastectomy to remove my right breast, nipple and all. My sentinel node and a set of ancillary nodes were also removed, and their detailed pathological analysis would determine the course of further treatment, if any. After a long weekend and an additional few days wait, the pathology came back perfectly normal, suggesting, strongly suggesting, that my cancer had not spread to my nodes. This was the result that we had hoped for.
A few weeks later I met with two independent oncologists who reviewed my pathology reports and my personal and family medical history. Both reached the same recommendation – no further treatment was required – no radiation, no chemotherapy, and no tamoxifen. Both suggested that I consider genetic testing to determine if I carried those genes known to confer added probability of breast cancer in women, and so presumably in men. I have yet to decide whether or not to undergo such a test.
It is now fifteen months since my mastectomy. I have residual numbness under my arm and some soreness due to scar tissue. However, I have regained full flexibility and just returned from a strenuous camping and hiking vacation with my two sons in Arizona and Utah. No one in the locker room of my health club seems to notice the scar that stretches across my right chest to under my armpit. However, I confess that I do search for a like soul.
Has the demon been exorcized? This is a question that we cancer survivors share. I do know that I caught my cancer early. My important message is that breast cancer can be lurking in the male breast in the absence of lumps, discomfort, or other outward signs. My cancer might have remained undetected for years before it reached a size that would reveal itself as a lump or soreness. By then it might have spread to my nodes and elsewhere. I was fortunate that whatever changes were occurring in my breast tissue led to bleeding. If not, I might have missed it, and I might be relating a more sorry story.
Ask you physician about male breast cancer and make sure that she or he takes its possibility into account during your regular physical in the same way that she or he recommends an annual PSA test and chest X-ray. Print out the information provided on the John W. Nick Foundation website and bring it with you to your physician. We need to get the word out.
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Dave Lyons
My name is Dave Lyons. I am a breast cancer survivor. Yes, men do get breast cancer. I was diagnosed at the age of 34 years. I am writing this letter to let everyone know that it can happen and tell them what they can do to catch it at the earliest stage possible. When I was a young man going through puberty, I noticed a lump in my right breast just behind the nipple. Doctors say that this is normal for boys going through puberty but the lump usually goes away. Mine didn't! When I got married in 1986 at the age of 23, the lump was still there. Four years later, in March of 1990, my first baby, a son I named David Andrew was born. At that time I started having leaking out of my right nipple. That really scared my wife and me so I went to the doctor. The doctor didn't think I needed to be worried about it. He said that it was just a cyst and for me to leave it alone and it would be okay.
I should have gotten a second opinion but I was ignorant at the time. Time past and the blood stopped leaking. We changed doctors several times due to our insurance and then we moved to another state. Every time I had a new doctor, I told him about the lump and the answer was always the same. Don't worry about it. Then in October 1997, I noticed that even while sitting at my desk at work there was pain radiating in my right chest area. Every time my right breast got bumped the pain was pretty bad. Especially while wrestling with my 2 boys.
In November I decided that I must go back to the doctor. This time I was going to be firm and have them take it out. My doctor sent me to a specialist at my insistence. At the specialist office, I had a test, a prostate exam, a mammogram, and an ultra sound. After all these test my specialist doctor told me not to worry, that when he took it out he would be able to tell me that it was not cancer. My lumpectomy was on Dec. 9th, 1997. The lump was cancer and even the margins were positive. Needless to say, the surgeon was very surprised, especially since I was 34 years old.
The positive margins meant that there was still some cancer left in my breast. I was scheduled for a mastectomy on December 29th, 1997. I also had to have my lymph nodes removed from under my right arm. Fortunately, this time the margins were negative and the lymph nodes were negative also. Another good thing is that my oncologist says that I don't need to have chemo and radiation. I am just taking Tamoxifen for the next five years. I have had some side effects from the Tamoxifen. I am having mild hot flashes and mood swings (I just found out that mood swings and depression are common side effects of Tamoxifen.)
I also have some complications from the surgery. I developed lymphodema in my right arm. Lymphodema is a swelling caused because my lymph system has become impaired. Physical Therapy is helping me to control the swelling. All in all things have turned out very nicely. There is still a chance that the cancer will come back but for now I am cancer free.
I am very fortunate that the cancer had not spread in those 8 years of seeing doctors. The fact that my cancer was found is not owed to the doctors but to my insistence to having the lump out.MY MESSAGE IS: If you are a man and have a lump, PLEASE have the doctors at least do a biopsy. If you are a woman who knows of a man with a lump, PLEASE encourage him to have a biopsy. Even all the standard test did not find my cancer. It was pathology examining the lump that found the cancer. It even surprised my doctor. Don't let anyone fool you. Check out all lumps.
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Ken Graham (by Sue Graham)
August 7, 2005
I would like for the public, doctors, and oncologists to have more information on WHAT Male Breast Cancer is, and HOW to diagnose and treat it. It is similar to female breast cancer, but you have to remember, you are dealing with MEN that don’t have the same hormones.
I accepted an invitation to be on the Board of Directors of the John W. Nick Foundation to help get the word out to the public, to the doctors, and to oncologists that don’t know or don't want to know about this disease and to try to enlighten a lot of people.
My husband comes from a family of breast cancer. My husband (Ken) was an only son with 5 sisters. In his family, Ken, and 2 of his sisters, and 3 of his nieces, did get this horrible disease of Breast Cancer. Ken’s 2 sisters and 3 nieces are still alive and survivors of Breast Cancer. Ken is deceased as of December 30, 2004. Ken’s sisters had doctors and oncologists that knew what to do. Ken did not have the right doctors or oncologist to know what to do for him.
Ken was diagnosed on July 24, 1998, at the age of 49 and scheduled for a mastectomy. They removed his left breast and 15 lymph nodes under the arm. At the time they thought response to hormone therapy was unlikely since his receptors were negative. He had the surgery and was put on Tomokephine. They said if he made 5 years with no symptoms that everything would be good. He made 4 ½ years and had another lump on the other side. This led to a lot of chemo and hormone therapy and even radiation. I went on the Internet and got a lot of information on the new chemo’s for Male Breast Cancers that have been released from trials. His oncologist finally tried one on Ken in 2004. It tore up his digestive system and caused fluid to collect around his stomach and lungs, which led to a lot more problems. I finally convinced Ken to go to a Breast Cancer Specialist and Oncologist in 9/2004. This Specialist didn’t know what to do either; he just suggested Ken let this chemo get out of his system. It was too late to help Ken, and then the doctor suggested he talk to Hospice. In other words, he didn’t know what to do for Ken. Ken got worse and passed December 30, 2004.
I really want to get the word out to men that may have this horrible disease to have any concerns checked right away and not take “It’s nothing to worry about” for an answer. And, I hope more of the older doctors and oncologists get up with the times on what to do with diseases that are not gender-specific.
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A story from a lady who's father just died from breast cancer and she has inherited the BRCA gene. She just had a double mastectomy because she was afraid that she would develop breast cancer. It has only been a few weeks since her surgery and she will update us later. She asked me to please keep her father's name anonymous for now. This is the story she writes in memory of her father.
A Basic Soldier
My father died last week. My father, my poppy, my daddy-my hero. He battled illness with courage and bravery. My father's discharge papers from the army in the Korean War listed his rank as "Basic Soldier" and that is exactly what he was. A basic soldier of life who fought 7 different kinds of organ cancer. He never, ever complained. He was a real "para-trooper' of the highest rank.
My father was also a fighter in the arena of sports. He was a football player, shot putter, and master bowler. His passion for activity matched his passion for living. He lived at a more innocent time in Los Angeles when it was fun to jump off the Santa Monica Pier and play in the La Brea Tar pits just for sport.
His tour of duty in this world taught me many lessons. Not just about "kibub Av" (honoring your father). It is not just taking care of his every day needs but also speaking to him with kindness and respect. Even when your full-time life of family, husband, children and work is stressing you out.
It means always thanking a nurse, caregiver or doctor for treating your father with tender care. It means facing your own fear, denial and sadness that these caregivers cannot always make him better.
His battle taught me more about ther power of prayer. My father's caregivers came from all of the world--the Philippines, Thailand, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Mexico and Central America. These people knew that God was in charge and that prayer could open the gates of heaven for healing, solace and love. I was humbled in their presence. My father's doctors told me he was a "medical miracle". I know that it is God that makes miracles and these miracles allowed my father to fight his illnesses for 20 years.
My dad was a very spiritual man. He always prayed to God in his own way. Each time I would tell him about a set back or problem he would say," I'll put in a good word for you." In fact, I believe my father helped me finally find my beshert and marry at age 48!!
My father took his service like a good recruit. Laying in the emergency room he repeated the Shema prayer line by line after me. His voice was clear and strong and I think everyone there heard his will to live.
The great Kabbalist, Rabbi Khadouri died three days before my father. During my shiva (7 days of mourning period), I asked my husband if my father was with Rabbi Khadouri. He replied," I think your dad is in the Basic Angels section". That's just fine with me--he was a basic soldier and now he is a basic angel. No one could ask for more.
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Michael Cotler
From Essentially Contested America, Friday, July 13, 2007, MEN CAN GET BREAST CANCER TOO!!!, Posted by Robert Justin Lipkin 
Did you know that men can and do get breast cancer? My oldest and dearest boyhood friend, like Cotler, died of breast cancer at the age of forty-six. Mike was one of the very few people I've ever known who actually treated everyone, no matter their station, with dignity and respect. A lot of us talk about treating people that way. Mike never talked about it; he just did it. Mike's loss first to his family and second to his friends is simply incalculable. One wants to say it should never have happened. But it did.
Mike and I were friends ever since we met in the fifth grade. When I first learned that he and I would be in the same class, I was thrilled. At long last, my class would be able to field a fantastic first basemen or pitcher on our softball team. We were both then ten years old.
Few things happened in our lives that was not affected and supported by our friendship. We enjoyed sports together, although Mike was a far better athlete than I ever was. We went to school together. We joined clubs together, but most important we'd laugh together. Mike had a fabulous sense of humor. Mike's presence was an essential ingredient in my own self-identity whether or not he was physically present at any given time. I recall a vow we made to each other when Yul Brynner, the star of the King and I, was extraordinarily popular, that if ever we began to seriously lose our hair, we would do a "Yul," our neologism for removing the remaining vestiges of hair from our heads. I did it; Mike never got the chance.
Sometimes I get angry and frustrated over our popular culture's failure to adequately publicize the fact that men die of breast cancer. I remember ten or so years ago writing to a medical correspondent on one of the morning television news shows who was airing a weeklong series on breast cancer asking him to include just seven little words. "Men can die of breast cancer too." He chose not to mention that fact. Well, MEN CAN DIE OF BREAST CANCER TOO. A comprehensive system of public health, including savvy, responsible journalists covering health issues should inform us about diseases we can prevent if caught early enough. How many medical reports on television or in print include these seven little words? MEN CAN DIE OF BREAST CANCER TOO. Indeed, though rare, when men get breast cancer it is typically more virulent. The nation, indeed the world, will benefit greatly if everyone had this information. Had such a system of public health been in place, Mike might still be with us.
On August 5, 2007, Lori Cotler, Mike's oldest daughter, will run in New York City's Half-Marathon to raise money for Male Breast Cancer. Those interested in learning more about breast cancer in men see this site.
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Mike Partain
My name is Mike Partain and I was diagnosed with male breast cancer on April 25th 2007. Earlier that month my wife gave me a hug that saved my life. Her hand went over a lump that was located over my right nipple. At first I thought it was a cyst, but after 2 weeks it was still there and I went to my family physician. My doctor recommended a mammogram. The results of the mammogram were troubling and I was scheduled for a biopsy a few days later. I was diagnosed with male breast cancer on the same day as my eighteenth wedding anniversary.
My diagnosis left me confused and troubled. I was at a loss to explain where or how I developed the disease. I do not drink nor do I smoke. It is very rare in men. Less than 1% of the total 200,000 yearly breast cancers are in men. Of those who contract the disease, most of them are between the ages of 60 and 70. Male breast cancer is strongly associated with hereditary breast cancer.
I am 39 years old. I am BRCA 1 and 2 negative for hereditary breast cancer. Cancer of any kind is rare in my family.
I was conceived, carried and born at Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base NC. My father is a Naval Academy Graduate and was stationed at the base from April of 1967 until May 1968. My parents resided at the base and were housed at 3374 Haggaru Rd. in Tarawa Terrace. The entire time my mother was pregnant with me, she was provided water that was highly contaminated with volatile organic compounds.
After my surgery, my father saw a report on CNN concerning Congressional hearings on the contamination of the base water supply. Specifically, the compounds are known as PCE (Tetracholorethylene) and TCE (Tricholorethylene). These chemicals were the basis of another similar contamination story detailed in the movie and book "A Civil Action". They are degreasers and were used by the Marines on base as well as an off base dry cleaner (PCE only), then disposed of on or in the ground. The chemicals made it into the base water supply system and were supplied to base housing via finished tap water from sometime in the 1950’s until 1987.
The cancer appeared in my right breast. I underwent a mastectomy on May 4th, 2007. The tumor was 2.5Cm and 1 lymph node was taken. Thankfully, there appears to be no metastases at this point. My parents were never contacted by the Marine Corps to advise us of the contamination at the time of my birth. I completed Chemo-Therapy November 6th 2007.
I am looking for other male breast cancer cases in men who either were conceived and /or born, lived, or served at Camp LeJeune NC. Since last fall, I have found 3 other men who developed the disease after their exposure to the water at the base. One man in particular lived in the same subdivision at the same time I was born. He was diagnosed with MBC 3 years ago at the age of 47.
I recently joined the CAP (Community Assistance Panel) for ATSDR for Camp LeJeune. The panel works with the military, the scientists, and affected community members to identify and study those who were affected. There I met an epidemiologist from Boston University. Dr. Clapp stated they had seen male breast cancer cases at prior PCE/TCE contamination sites located at Woburn and Cape Cod Massachusetts.
Please feel free to contact me at strashni@comcast.net anytime.
Sincerely, Mike Partain
http://www.tallahassee.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080328/COLUMNIST01/803280345/1006/OPINION
http://www.theledger.com/article/20070916/NEWS/709160466/1039
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