Male Breast Cancer: The Silent Killer

Editor’s Note: This piece was submitted by a contributing writer and does not represent the views of CURE Media Group.

November of this year, I went to my family doctor for a wellness visit. My doctor said, “Your nipple is inverted in, and some dried blood is there. The heart-stopper is that you have a lump in there! You have to have a mammogram right away.”

I went to have the mammogram done at a breast center: I walked into the office, signed in and sat down. Meanwhile, about four women were looking at me like, “What are you doing here?”

The office manager came out and asked, “Are you Paul Wills?” I said yes and she instructed to come with her and fill out paperwork. She told me that it’s very rare to get men in the breast center.

So, I am taken back for the mammogram, and the girl said the doctor has to look at the pictures and will be back soon. Seems like only a minute went by before she said the doctor wants more pictured done. She said, “I will be right back,” and no faster than she left, she came back and said the doctor wants an ultrasound.

The doctor does the ultrasound and said, “I am not liking what I see. We need to get a biopsy done.” So, I went back in a few days and had three of them done. He said it will take two to three days before the results would be back.

The next day my family doctor called about 5:00 p.m. and told me I have breast cancer and I need to see a surgeon. I went to surgeon on Tuesday the following week, and he said that we need to schedule surgery soon and told me I need a full mastectomy of my right breast. A week-and-a-half later, I am in the hospital having my right breast removed and lymph nodes out. Yes, he removed my nipple also. Now I have a 12-inch long incision and am waiting on biopsy reports from the cancer from the breast tissue to determine what kind of treatment to do.

I did a interview with the channel 16 news in my town about male breast cancer! A very small percentage of patients with breast cancer are men, so men need believe that they can get breast cancer and remember to check themselves. By me getting the word out can save one life then it was worth it.