Q: Did you feel that health professionals treated you well and were supportive during diagnosis and treatment?
A: The doctors and nurses at all stages of my treatment have been fantastic -- hats off to the U. K. National Health Service, even if they are overstretched and underfunded in areas. The only issue that gives me concern was that I had to visit my [general practitioner] three times before being referred to the hospital. This may be [due] to the fact that the statistics for male breast cancer are so low, and that I was 20 years younger than the average age of a male breast cancer patient. The support I've received from the breastcare/oncology nurses throughout has been superb, and [it has been] reassuring to know that help or advice is only a phone call away.
Q: What kind of treatment did you have to go through to survive male breast cancer?
A: Following diagnosis, as I previously mentioned, I had a full mastectomy six days later by consultant Gabor Peley. He started and introduced the dual-agent guided sentinel lymph node biopsy for breast cancer. While in the operation theatre, these came back positive, so all [of the] lymph nodes on the affected side were removed -- 23 in all. It turned out after a two-week wait that five of the 23 nodes were infected. The tumor was 13mm in diameter and grade three. So, chemo and radiotherapy (radiation) were the next stage of my treatment. I took eight treatments of FEC (Fluorouracil (5FU), epirubicin and cyclophosphamide) chemotherapy followed over a 6-month period. I've now finished 15 treatments of radiotherapy on the area covering my operation and around the right-hand side of my lower neck. I have also started a 5-year course of Tamoxifen.
Q: How did treatment go for you? Did you experience any side effects?
A: During chemo treatment, I found the first few days fairly OK, mainly due to the steroids given on the day of treatment and the following three days. Apart from that, the strange taste, and my body seeming to smell different, I had no bad side effects. Following these three days, fatigue set in varying degrees for the next two weeks; sometimes I was unable to do much at all due to just general tiredness. The anti-sickness drugs worked well, as I was never sick from chemo. I would take fatigue over sickness any day.
The radiotherapy was a much easier treatment to take compared to chemo. The only real side effects were sore skin (like sunburn) and blistering under my armpit the week after the last session.
Q: How has breast cancer affected your everyday life? Does this diagnosis affect your self-image?
A: Aside from the treatments, everyday life certainly changed, my perspective on life has changed, and the appreciation of how precious life is has been strengthened. I feel I'm now a more thoughtful person, maybe a bit calmer too.
I don't feel that male breast cancer has affected my self-image, although I've yet to go topless on a beach or in a swimming pool. I have put on a bit of weight, which I was told could happen due to the steroids. The reduced [physical] activity hasn't helped. I feel more conscious about the weight than I do of the scar from the mastectomy, and I am now stepping up exercising and watching my food. But most importantly, things are getting back to normal.
Q: What gives you the strength to face this hardship in your life?
A: This question is easy to answer -- the love for my family, my love of life and wanting these to continue for years to come. As I mentioned earlier, accepting the fact that you have cancer after a diagnosis is a big help and [it] helped me be positive about the treatment ahead and the outcome.
Q: What advice would you give to other men who may be at risk of developing breast cancer?
A: If there is a history of breast cancer in your family and you become aware of irregular lumps around your armpit or any lumps on or around the breast or nipple, have them checked out as soon as possible. Don't be embarrassed, as there's nothing to be embarrassed of. Lumps on the breast can be fatty tissue; these normally disappear in a few weeks. So get it checked out. I heard a story of one man who put off going to the doctor [because of] embarrassment and being too macho...and he is now dead.
Q: What kind of supportive things can family, friends, or coworkers do for a male breast cancer patient?
A: Talk about it! Be positive toward the patient, even if you don't feel it yourself, and just be there -- it's all you can do.
Q: How would you sum up this experience?
A: Breast cancer is not a death sentence. Most people survive -- I have. Through having a positive attitude, openness and love, I feel my life has been enhanced. It hasn't been easy, but I'm here and that's what matters.
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Source:
Sean Cooper, correspondence with Pam Stephan. May 12, 2008.
