'I kicked cancer's butt': Breast cancer is not just a women's disease

Leonard "Lynn" Campbell had no family history of cancer, so it was quite a shock this year when he became the first one in his family to be diagnosed with cancer -- and it was breast cancer, at that.

Fortunately, he and his doctors caught the cancer early enough to stop the disease in its tracks.

Campbell was diagnosed Feb. 6, had a CT scan and bone scan Feb. 13 and a mastectomy Feb. 20. He's almost finished with a series of 30 radiation treatments as a preventive measure. He's confident and relieved that he beat the disease, and he urges other men to talk to their doctors about any suspicious symptoms.

"Guys can be headstrong and think it's just going to go away. But it won't go away unless you do something about it," he says. "If God deals us a hand, we've got to play with it."

Breast cancer in men is quite uncommon, says Dr. James C. Mosley III, a hematologist/oncologist at the Southeast Cancer Center: There will be nearly 230,000 cases of breast cancer diagnosed in women in the U.S. this year, and only about 2,100 cases of breast cancer in men. While breast cancer presents similarly in men and women, Mosley says the cancer presents later in life for men -- between the ages of 60 and 65, about 10 years older than the median age in women. The masses usually present as a painless swelling or lump behind the nipple, he says.

Campbell is just 49, and a father of three in Oak Ridge. He's rather young for a male breast cancer patient, especially one with no family history of cancer, let alone breast cancer. But a few weeks before his diagnosis, he noticed a small lump in his breast and decided he'd better ask his doctor about it.

"I felt something there. It kind of felt like someone was stabbing me in the nipple," he says. His doctor also felt the lump and sent him for a mammogram, ultrasound and biopsy.

Turns out, it was stage 2 breast cancer, almost stage 3.

"Anytime you see the word 'cancer' you fear the worst. I took it pretty hard, but I kept the attitude that I was going to beat it and I was going to kick its butt," says Campbell.

He says a positive attitude was a big part of his cancer journey, along with the support of his family, friends and co-workers.

"I didn't realize how close my family and friends were until this," he says.

In addition to a family history of breast cancer, there are a few other factors that can make men susceptible to breast cancer, including alcohol use, liver disease and estrogen treatment, says Dr. Olivia Aranha of Cape Medical Oncology. Jewish ancestry, obesity, physical inactivity, strong family history and prior radiation to the chest also increase the risk, adds Mosley.

Some studies point to Klinefelter syndrome as another risk factor for male breast cancer.

"Klinefelter syndrome is a congenital condition (present at birth) that affects about 1 in 1,000 men," says Aranha. "Normally the cells in men's bodies have a single X chromosome along with a Y chromosome, while women's cells have two X chromosomes. Men with this condition have cells with a Y chromosome plus at least two X chromosomes (sometimes as many as four)."

Men with Klinefelter syndrome also have small testicles and may be unable to produce functioning sperm cells, making them infertile; they have lower levels of male hormones and more female hormones, so they often develop benign male breast growth, or gynecomastia, says Aranha.

Men with a defect in the BRCA2 gene also have an increased risk of breast cancer, says Aranha.

"BRCA1 mutations can also cause breast cancer in men, but the risk is not as high as it is for mutations in the BRCA2 gene," she adds.

As with any other disease, early detection and prevention are key for male breast cancer. Mosley says breast self-exams for men are probably unnecessary, but he does recommend monthly self-exams for men with Klinefelter syndrome; Aranha also recommends self-exams for men with BRCA mutations and a strong family history of breast cancer.

"Any man noticing a change in breast tissue or an obvious mass in the breast region should bring it to the attention of their physician without delay," says Mosley. Men should also watch out for lumps in the neck or armpit areas, says Aranha.

Campbell's best advice for other men is to take note of any changes in their bodies, and to not be afraid to go to the doctor if something is not right.

"Most guys who die from breast cancer did not get it checked out," he says. Breast cancer is more often associated with women and the color pink, but men need to know that it can happen to them, too.

"I wear pink. I'm not afraid to wear it," says Campbell. "Next summer when the pools are open, I'm going to take my shirt off, and if people say, 'What's wrong with you?', I'll tell them ... I kicked cancer's butt."