{"id":68019,"date":"2023-10-13T16:50:24","date_gmt":"2023-10-13T16:50:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rapidcelnews.com\/?p=68019"},"modified":"2023-10-13T16:50:24","modified_gmt":"2023-10-13T16:50:24","slug":"i-thought-my-muscles-ached-from-the-gym-breast-cancer-never-crossed-my-mind-until-pals-joked-about-my-moobs-the-sun","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rapidcelnews.com\/lifestyle\/i-thought-my-muscles-ached-from-the-gym-breast-cancer-never-crossed-my-mind-until-pals-joked-about-my-moobs-the-sun\/","title":{"rendered":"I thought my muscles ached from the gym – breast cancer never crossed my mind until pals joked about my moobs | The Sun"},"content":{"rendered":"

FEELING a pea-sized lump in his right pec, James Richards assumed it was just muscle strain from the gym. <\/p>\n

The last thing he expected to be told was that he had breast cancer and that it was likely to be terminal.<\/p>\n


\n<\/p>\n

\u201cI had no idea men could even get breast cancer, so it didn\u2019t even cross my mind before someone made a joke,\u201d the PR account director said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf they hadn\u2019t said anything, I\u2019d probably never have even gone to my GP as I thought I\u2019d just done something lifting weights in the gym or running around at work.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I was diagnosed, I felt embarrassed to tell people what kind of cancer I had because it\u2019s always viewed as a woman\u2019s disease.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt made me worried that people wouldn\u2019t take me seriously as a man, especially as I\u2019ve always been rather flamboyant.\u201d<\/p>\n

READ MORE ON BREAST CANCER<\/h2>\n

<\/picture>ROBO DOC<\/span><\/p>\n

Breast cancer breakthrough as new robot examines and diagnoses women earlier <\/h3>\n

<\/picture>sleepless nights <\/span><\/p>\n

Faye Winter reveals secret breast cancer scare <\/h3>\n

The ordeal led to him creating moobs – the first organisation for male breast cancer in the UK.<\/p>\n

James was just 36 when he was diagnosed with cancer on February 23, 2023, and was so dazed that he barely noticed that he had sat on an ant's nest waiting for the bus home.<\/p>\n

He was left feeling even more isolated as all the support documents he was given were targeted at women.<\/p>\n

One of the pieces of advice on the first leaflet he opened was \u201cwear a loose fitting bra\u201d, and NHS consultants spoke about how treatment had worked on women.<\/p>\n

Most read in Health<\/h2>\n

<\/picture>BEAT THE BLOAT<\/span><\/p>\n

Nutritionist shares 4 easy tips to ease bloating and burn fat fast<\/h3>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/picture>SINISTER SIGNS <\/span><\/p>\n

The 4 signs your ‘sore throat’ is dangerous – as A&E visits surge 77%<\/h3>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/picture>TRAGIC END <\/span><\/p>\n

Daughter’s pain as dad, 81, kills himself after dental surgery left him in agony<\/h3>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/picture>BRAIN TRAIN <\/span><\/p>\n

Eight ways to sharpen your brain from simple card tricks to clever app<\/h3>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Around 400 men a year are diagnosed with breast cancer, and the disease can often be more aggressive.<\/p>\n

Traditionally, men who get it tend to be over the age of 60, and James was referred for treatment by his GP just to be safe.<\/p>\n

After diagnosis, he was initially offered a mastectomy, as that was the usual treatment route for women.<\/p>\n

Doctors also didn\u2019t know if he\u2019d be entitled to a reconstruction on the NHS like women, as it wasn\u2019t seen as vital.<\/p>\n

But it turned out he didn\u2019t actually need to undergo such invasive surgery, as male breast cancer behaves differently to the female kind.<\/p>\n

Doctors also concluded that James\u2019 cancer wasn\u2019t as serious as they first thought and that his raised lymph nodes were a result of an underlying infection.<\/p>\n

James was put onto a 20-cycle course of chemotherapy and is set to undergo a central excision on his right breast – where doctors cut out the cancerous and some surrounding flesh as well as his nipple.<\/p>\n

\u201cEverything made me feel like no one knew what was going on,\u201d James told The Sun.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t know any other men that had it, and everything I was told and given was all based around women.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere was no one to talk to, and I didn\u2019t feel comfortable speaking to female breast cancer survivors because I didn\u2019t want to take away from their experience.<\/p>\n

\u201cEverything I was given about my cancer was aimed at females, which made it hard to process what was going on.\u201d<\/p>\n

I realised I couldn\u2019t let anyone else go through what I have alone<\/p>\n

As a result, James decided to set up moobs, because he didn't want anyone to be left feeling how he did.<\/p>\n

It aims to provide connection to other men diagnosed with the cancer, so they feel less alone, as well as educating men to check their own breasts for any signs and symptoms.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe numbers may sound low, but each of the 400 people have a family and a life,\u201d James said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI realised I couldn\u2019t let anyone else go through what I have alone when I had the ability to do something about it.<\/p>\n

\u201cCatching male breast cancer early is so important because it is more treatable.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s incredible there is so much support out there for women, it\u2019s just a shame that male breast cancer sufferers are left to feel alone and isolated.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t want someone to die because they simply don\u2019t have the information that they could get breast cancer.\u201d<\/p>\n

CHECK YOUR PECS<\/h2>\n

He also hopes that he will achieve charitable status in the next 12 months and be able to help fund research into male breast cancer.<\/p>\n

James discovered through a genetic test that he had the BRCA-2 gene, which meant he is at higher risk of developing pancreatic or prostate cancer as well.<\/p>\n

It was yet another thing he didn\u2019t realise men could carry.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf someone knows there is breast cancer in their family, they should get checked for the gene, no matter their gender,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt gives you the power to make a decision and be vigilant with your health. <\/p>\n

\u201cFinding cancer earlier gives you a better chance.\u201d<\/p>\n

James and moobs have the backing of TV doctors Zoe Williams and Amir Khan.<\/p>\n

Dr Amir: \u201cAs the most common type of cancer diagnosed in the UK, we\u2019re all aware of the dangers of breast cancer when it comes to women; however, often overlooked are the around 400 cases of the disease diagnosed in men.<\/p>\n

Read More on The Sun<\/h2>\n

<\/picture>HARVEY WORRY <\/span><\/p>\n

Katie Price\u2019s heartbreak as son Harvey returns to hospital<\/h3>\n

<\/picture>MY AGONY <\/span><\/p>\n

I assumed tiny marks all over my son were a rash – his story could save others<\/h3>\n

\u201cWithout raising awareness of the disease – and with men anecdotally less likely to visit their GP – many of these incidences won\u2019t be caught until it\u2019s too late. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe hope that moobs will help instigate change by challenging the language around the disease and encouraging men to check their pecs and book an appointment if they find anything suspicious.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n
\n
\n<\/p>\n

Symptoms of breast cancer in men and how to check your pecs<\/h3>\n

THE most common symptoms of breast cancer in men include:<\/p>\n