Tyler Mane’s breast cancer diagnosis puts attention on a rare risk for men
Doctors say the actor’s disclosure may help men recognize symptoms sooner and reduce stigma around a disease often framed as female.
By Tom Brennan · Health & Medicine Correspondent
3 min read
Actor and former wrestler Tyler Mane has disclosed that he has breast cancer, drawing attention to a disease that is rare in men and often detected later than it is in women. Doctors say his public announcement could push more men to take breast changes seriously and seek care sooner.
Mane, known for playing Sabretooth in “X-Men,” told fans in an Instagram post Monday that he wanted to raise awareness because breast cancer in men is discussed less often, is commonly found at later stages and has poorer outcomes.
Dr. Harold Burstein, director of breast cancer education at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, said Mane’s case is a reminder that men can develop the disease and that treatment for men is largely similar to treatment for women with breast cancer. Burstein said many people are unaware that male breast cancer is possible.
Burstein also said Mane’s openness could help address embarrassment some men may feel about having a condition widely associated with women. He said breast cancer can be highly treatable, especially when it is found early.
Male breast cancer is uncommon, but not negligible
The American Cancer Society estimates that about 2,670 men will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer this year, and about 530 men will die from it. By comparison, the group projects about 321,910 new breast cancer cases among women and about 42,140 deaths among women.
The American Cancer Society says the five-year survival rate for breast cancer in women can reach 99% when the disease is still localized. That rate falls to 33% when the cancer has spread to distant parts of the body.
Dr. Arif Kamal, chief patient officer for the American Cancer Society, said Mane is right that men have historically been diagnosed later than women. Kamal said men may ignore a breast lump for months because they do not think breast cancer applies to them, allowing the disease to become advanced or metastatic.
Doctors said symptoms that should prompt medical attention include a lump in breast tissue, a change in breast shape, nipple discharge and crusting. They said those signs require the same urgency in men as in women.
Doctors point to stigma and branding
Dr. Ben Park, director of the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville, said breast cancer awareness is often closely tied to pink imagery. Susan G. Komen prominently uses pink in its branding, and Major League Baseball uses pink bats on Mother’s Day as part of breast cancer awareness efforts.
Park said those associations can contribute to stigma for men with the disease, including the false idea that a male breast cancer diagnosis says something about masculinity. He said breast cancer is still not the first possibility many people consider when a man finds a lump in the breast.
Kamal said he hopes Mane’s announcement leads men to talk about family history and pay closer attention to changes in their bodies. Doctors said the central message is straightforward: men can get breast cancer, and symptoms should not be dismissed.
This story draws on original reporting from NBC News.