Breast cancer can happen to men too!

The Pink Finss has been established for 12 years and the first 7 of those years were focused solely on providing support for women diagnosed with breast cancer.  At that particular time our nation was mourning the recent loss of the beautiful Jane McGrath to breast cancer and the McGrath Foundation was doing great things raising awareness along with the beautiful Olivia Newton John.  But it was always women flying the flag and bravely sharing their breast cancer diagnosis.  Sure we had heard that men could get breast cancer but we had never met any man in the Hawkesbury that had been diagnosed with breast cancer.

Fast forward to 2022 and we meet Trevor Forbes.  Trevor was diagnosed with breast cancer at the end of 2021 and what hearing Trevor’s story demonstrates to us is that his diagnosis and treatment for breast cancer has been exactly the same as what women everyday have been going through and there is absolutely no reason for any man to think that he can’t get breast cancer.

In late 2021, Trevor noticed a lump on his left breast, below his nipple, which at the time he thought was fatty tissue.  The lump was visible and one of the reasons it caught Trevor’s attention was that he had not long before read an article on men’s breast cancer so it was fresh in his mind.  Trevor went to his GP and was sent for tests including a biopsy.  The wait to get the results was the worst and after ignoring a private number calling him repeatedly on his way home from work, Trevor finally answered the call, it was the Dr confirming that it was breast cancer.  “I was absolutely shattered, and it took me days to recover from the shock.  I was numb”.  Trevor was referred to a specialist to have a pet scan and after a further 2 week wait for results was relieved to be told that the cancer had not spread.

For Trevor it was all about putting his faith in the experts who were now part of his medical team.  On 28 February 2022 Trevor had a mastectomy and it was found that a small percentage of cancer cells were also found in 1 of the 5 lymph nodes that were removed which meant further treatment of chemotherapy and radiation would be required.

Trevor went through the exact same process as a female diagnosed with breast cancer.  Even having the assistance of a McGrath nurse which Trevor found very calming.  For a 6ft tall man, he was able to find the humour in certain situations including having a tiny female nurse navigate him through a mammogram, which for us women out there would know would be no mean feat.

In fact Trevor was able to draw a lot of strength from the women that have gone through the treatment. “I needed to speak to people who had been through it and I constantly had to remind myself of why I was doing this.  But at the same time it was comforting to also be able to give back when a new person arrived for their first chemotherapy treatment with a nervous and terrified look.   I thought it was important to tell them that they would be ok and that they were in good hands.  This is what I wish someone would have said to me when I had my first treatment”.

“Physically I was reminded of what I had been going through.  I had a scar on my left chest and my nipple was gone.  The chemotherapy had also taken my hair, eyebrows and eyelashes and it was at this point that I looked and felt like a cancer patient.”

Initially Trevor’s family, friends and colleagues were emotional about what he was going through and it made him unsure of how to deal with their reaction.  But once they processed what he was going through they were extremely supportive.

“It sounds strange but for 6 months and 5 weeks whilst having my treatment I felt a sense of protection to know that the chemo was doing something.  It’s when the chemo stops that you have to continually challenge yourself to stay positive.”

At 61 years of age Trevor was not sick in the lead up to his diagnosis. “I think that was the most frustrating part.  With no family history and no symptoms it just didn’t feel real.  Now that I have been through this I really just want men out there to know that breast cancer can happen to you.  If I could say one thing to men it would be check your breasts regularly, put your pride in your pocket and don’t be afraid to speak up if you feel like something is not right with your body”.