Robert George ignored the skin irritation on his chest for months before seeing a doctor who diagnosed him with male breast cancer.
The 61-year-old New Yorker mistook the mild irritation under his left nipple for an ingrown hair and ignored the spot “for many months.” When he finally went to the doctor, even doctors attributed the irritation to a subcutaneous cyst, a benign lump under the skin.
Cancer, he said, “never crossed my mind.”
However, Mr George was later diagnosed with stage 2 male breast cancer. Stage 2 usually means that the breast cancer is growing but is in the breast or that the growth has only spread to nearby lymph nodes.
In September Mr. George underwent a mastectomy, an operation to remove the cancerous breast on his left breast and to remove nearby lymph nodes where traces of the cancer were discovered.
Mr George told Today: “I’m sure like most men, when we think of cancer we think of lung cancer if we’re a smoker, or prostate cancer.”
Robert George underwent a mastectomy, an operation to remove the cancerous breast from his left breast and remove nearby lymph nodes
The American Cancer Society estimates that there will be 2,800 new cases of breast cancer in men in 2023, making the cancer significantly less common in men than in women, where there will be nearly 298,000 cases in 2023.
About one in 833 men will develop breast cancer in their lifetime, compared to one in eight women.
The ACS also predicts that there will be 530 breast cancer deaths in men this year, compared to 43,170 cancer deaths in women.
The death rate for men is 0.3 per 100,000 men, compared to 19.1 per 100,000 women.
Although breast cancer rates are low in men compared to women, black men are at much greater risk and are 52 percent more likely to develop cancer than white men.
The death rate from male breast cancer is also higher in this group, at 0.5 deaths per 100,000.
Mr. George, a stand-up comedian, said in a Facebook post last month that he is “feeling pretty good” after his surgery and will undergo radiation and “related medical treatments.”
In the post, he also raised awareness and awareness about breast cancer in men.
He wrote: “Now comes the most important public announcement: one in 800 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime, much less often than women, but ironically this is partly due to the relatively low incidence, which leads to male survival has. “Breast cancer outcomes have not improved in the last thirty years compared to improved outcomes in women.
“So gentlemen, this means taking care of your body, especially the brothers out there: Black men are diagnosed with breast cancer 52% more often than white men. By the way, that’s part of it [Mathew] Knowles, Beyoncé’s father, who also had a mastectomy.’
Mr. Knowles, the father of pop superstar Beyoncé Knowles, announced in 2019 that he had been diagnosed with breast cancer after a mammogram and biopsy. The cancer was discovered in stage 1.
He underwent a mastectomy to remove his breast.
Mr George told Today: “I’m sure like most men, when we think of cancer we think of lung cancer if we’re a smoker, or prostate cancer.”
After his mastectomy and lymph node removal, Mr George is preparing for radiation and possibly chemotherapy
Mr George’s cancer journey began long before his diagnosis in August. About a year ago, he noticed a slight irritation under his left nipple, which he thought was ingrown breast hair.
He said, “It wasn’t a knot.” I wasn’t aware of it every day. I noticed it every now and then when I was in the shower.’
One of the symptoms of breast cancer in men is redness or scaly skin on or around the chest.
Other warning signs include nipple discharge, an inverted nipple, a lump or swelling in the breast, and irritation or dimpling of the breast skin.
Months later, Mr George told his GP in June about his irritation, who initially thought it was a cyst and ordered an ultrasound scan.
A surgeon referred to Mr George also believed it was a cyst but ordered a mammogram to be sure.
Mr George told Today that a biopsy was then recommended.
He said: “I knew breast cancer occurs in men.” You know it’s rare and you say to yourself, “Wow, I won the reverse lottery.”
“It’s obviously upsetting and upsetting.”
After his mastectomy and lymph node removal, Mr George is preparing for radiation and possibly chemotherapy.
Although genetic tests revealed that Mr. George did not have the genetic mutations that predispose someone to breast cancer, he had a family history: his mother had the disease. And family history is a risk factor for developing cancer.
But now he’s speaking out to draw attention to a little-discussed diagnosis, using his experience in his stand-up comedy routine.
“This experience definitely gives me a lot of material, even though technically I work with much less material,” he says, pointing to his chest.
“When you’re a comedian, you want to perform the most. However, Phase 2 time is not exactly what I was looking for.
Although his new material “might be a little dark,” Mr. George said, “I felt the need to express it – to share my truth. Even in a comedic setting.”
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Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
