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Male breast cancer is extremely rare, but no less devAstating
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Amid the profusion of pink — from the iconic ribbons to the extravagant boas — that has solidly marked October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month, there stands a small minority of survivors who oftentimes are forgotten.
Men who have battled breast cancer know the disease does not discriminate against gender. Less than 1 percent of all breast cancer cases occur in men, but the disease nonetheless rattles their lives.
John Corron of Kettering shares his story in hopes that other men won’t ignore changes in their breasts.
The 76-year-old retired dentist was diagnosed with breast cancer in October of 2006. “I felt a lump, and I thought it was it was an infection,” he recalled. “It was about the size of a walnut, and it was kind of tender.”
“The signs and symptoms for men are the same as women: lumps, skin changes, nipple retraction (nipples turning inward),” confirmed Amy McKenna, breast cancer coordinator at Miami Valley Hospital. “The important thing is that if a man notices changes in his breast, he needs to see a doctor.”
The prevalence of breast cancer in Corron’s family was alarming: His mother had the disease, as did his three sisters.
“It is important for a man to know if there are any members of his family who have had breast cancer,” explained McKenna. “It is also important for men to know if any of their family members carry a BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation, which increases the risk of getting breast cancer even for them.”
In addition to a family history of breast cancer, risk factors for men also include radiation treatment to the chest, obesity, liver disease and advanced age.
A mammogram and ultrasound of Corron’s right breast revealed stage 1 ductal carcinoma in situ. On Nov. 1, 2006, he had a mastectomy followed by chemotherapy.
“When they tell you you have breast cancer, it knocks you off your feet a little,” he said during an interview at the home he shares in Kettering with his wife, Rosemary.
The American Cancer Society estimates about 2,140 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed among men in the United States, and about 450 men will die from breast cancer.
For men, the lifetime risk of getting breast cancer is about 1-in-1,000, while the risk for women is 1-in-8.
“It was kind of hard to believe that I had breast cancer,” explained Corron. “I had never heard of breast cancer in men ... maybe vaguely.”
Rosemary admits the cancer was rightfully overwhelming, and the couple turned to prayer.
Corron’s daughter, Joellen Ray, added: “It’s scary, and you have to rely on faith.”
“Thank God for faith, or I would have never made it,” said Corron.
The breast cancer turned out to be just one test for the family. Also in 2006, Corron was diagnosed with primary prostate cancer and Parkinson’s disease, a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system.
Through it all, Corron has maintained a quiet sense of humor and grace.
“He keeps trying to get the mammograms at half price because they only test one breast,” said Rosemary with a smile.
“Afterward, I told the other ladies in the waiting room, ‘It’s a piece of cake,’ ” added Corron.
Michael Welsh of Monroe died July 1, just shy of his 64th birthday, according to his wife, Barbara, of stage 4 breast cancer. Yet he, too, was adamant in bringing breast cancer to the forefront of men’s health, and never hesitated to pepper his message with humor.
“He just made light of it,” said Barbara, who also had been diagnosed with breast cancer.
The lack of awareness about male breast cancer deeply bothered Welsh, and the couple made a point of educating men about the disease and the importance of early detection.
In 2009, they made an appearance on NBC’s “Today Show.” At the time, Michael, a retired bricklayer at AK Steel, had already undergone a radical mastectomy.
“We both went through it together,” said Barbara. “When I lost all of my hair ... he said, ‘I love bald-headed women,’ and I said ‘shush.’ He was with me every step of the way.
“He said, ‘I am right here, I ain’t going anywhere,’ and I said, ‘Me, neither.’’’
Barbara said she would be a “mess” these days if it were not for the couple’s son, Michael, and his three boys.
“Since my son moved in, I have been great,” she said. “I am not giving in to it. ... I am going to fight to get this out about breast cancer in men.”
For Corron’s daughter, Ray, the family history of breast cancer — and a series of health scares, including a breast infection and bilateral ductal hyperplasia — prompted her to choose a prophylactic double mastectomy.
Although tests showed both she and her father carried neither the BRCA1 nor BRCA2 gene mutation, Ray, 54, is confident in her choice.
“It felt right to me.”
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-0671 or 
rmcmacken@DaytonDailyNews.com.
Signs and symptoms
According to the American Cancer Society, possible signs of breast cancer in men include:
A lump or swelling, which is usually (but not always) painless
Skin dimpling or puckering
Nipple retraction (turning inward)
Redness or scaling of the nipple or breast skin
Discharge from the nipple
Sometimes a breast cancer can spread to lymph nodes under the arm or around the collar bone and cause a lump or swelling there, even before the original tumor in the breast tissue is large enough to be felt.
These changes aren’t always caused by cancer. For example, most breast lumps in men are due to gynecomastia (a harmless enlargement of breast tissue).
Nonetheless, if you notice any breast changes, you should see your doctor as soon as possible.
The Pink Paper
Join the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk on Saturday, Oct. 15 at Fifth Third Field. > Find out how to participate
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