Man says TV ad ‘saved his life’ by leading to breast cancer diagnosis

By Lydia Patrick via SWNS

A man says watching TV "saved his life" after an ad prompted him to check his pecs and find a "pea-sized lump" - leading to a stage three breast cancer diagnosis.

Jim Allen, 66, watched a TV advert urging men to check for breast cancer and he came across a bump in the middle of his chest.

When he went to get checked out, his GP initially dismissed it as a cyst - but it didn't go away.

After Jim lost six stone, the lump became more visible and looked like a "red boil" which got bigger.

He eventually got it removed years later and it was sent for a biopsy.

Jim was shocked when the results revealed he had breast cancer.

He underwent a mastectomy to remove his left breast, three weeks of radiotherapy and had his lymph nodes under his left armpit removed.

Jim is now entering a fashion show in The Show by Breast Cancer Now this April to raise awareness of male breast cancer.

Jim, a retired council worker, from Llangollen, Denbighshire, Wales, said: "When I saw the advert that said everyone should check for breast lumps I did just that.

"I felt a small, hidden pea-sized lump in the middle of my chest, but my doctor said it was just a cyst.

"I didn’t think men got breast cancer, and certainly not in the middle of their chests, so I wasn’t too concerned.

"However, when I lost weight three years later in 2018, the hidden cyst became a red-looking, round lump.

"I went back to the doctor who removed it and sent it for a biopsy.

"The results came back - I had male breast cancer.”

Jim had a mammogram to remove his left nipple, three weeks of radiotherapy and an operation to remove the lymph nodes under his left armpit - where the cancer had spread.

Since, he has taken Tamoxifen - an estrogen blocker - as his cancer was caused by estrogen.

He has to take the drugs for five more years and it causes him to feel like a 'menopausal woman' as he suffers with night sweats.

According to Jim, the diagnosis was "lonely" as he didn't have fellow male companions to share his experience with.

He added: “Whilst my cancer ward was amazing, I never met any men going through breast cancer.

"There are quite a few support groups for women, and maybe men in general are less talkative about medical problems. It made me feel really lonely.

“Maybe men might find it embarrassing to talk about breast cancer and put off this sort of thing.

"I think we need to get men talking about it, checking for signs and doing something about any worries they have.

"I get it, I didn’t know you could get breast cancer as a man either.

"If, as a man, you find a cyst on your chest, get it checked.

"It could be something else - you never know.”

Jim hopes to normalize male breast cancer by entering The Show by Breast Cancer Now this April.

The fashion show will showcase 24 models who have overcome breast cancer.

He said: "I think it will help raise awareness - men can get breast cancer. It isn't as rare as it used to be.

"It's a celebration that you've come through it and are getting on with life
going to be a wonderful experience."