Tyler Mane, best known for playing Sabretooth in the first X-Men film, has revealed that he has been diagnosed with breast cancer.
59-year-old Tyler Mane shared the news with fans on Instagram, explaining that he initially struggled with whether to speak publicly about the diagnosis.
“Yep. I have breast cancer. And yep, it’s super rare. Only 1% of breast cancers are men,” Mane wrote.
“I’ll be honest, my first reaction was to keep it secret. I mean it’s kind of embarrassing.”
But after learning how often the disease is overlooked in men, the actor decided to use his platform to raise awareness.
Wife pushed Mane to seek answers
Mane explained that the lump he discovered was initially dismissed by doctors. According to the actor, it was his wife’s persistence that ultimately led to further testing and treatment.
“Men are more likely to be diagnosed in advanced stages because it’s not talked about and not looked for,” he wrote and added:
“In fact, my doctors all dismissed it and it was only because my wife pushed me to get the lump removed that I got in early.”
The actor hopes that sharing his experience will encourage other men to pay attention to unusual changes in their bodies and seek medical advice if something feels wrong.
Breast cancer affects men too
Although breast cancer is far more common in women, men can develop the disease as well. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), most cases are diagnosed in men over the age of 50.
Symptoms can include a lump or swelling in the breast area, changes to the skin around the breast, nipple discharge, pain, or a nipple that begins to turn inward.
Health experts stress that these symptoms can have causes other than cancer, but any unusual changes should be checked by a doctor.
Several factors can increase the risk of male breast cancer, including age, inherited genetic mutations, a family history of the disease, previous radiation treatment to the chest, certain hormone therapies, liver disease, and obesity.
Started chemotherapy
In a follow-up video, Mane revealed that he had begun chemotherapy treatment and was determined to fight the disease.
“I start chemo today. One in 750 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime, and I’m one of them,” he told followers.
“Because it’s rarely talked about, it’s usually found at later stages and has worse outcomes. I want to change that.”
The actor later shared another update after completing his second day of treatment. Fighting back tears, he thanked fans for the support they had shown since he went public with his diagnosis.
“Thank you so much for all the love everyone. I greatly appreciate it. I got this. I’m gonna kick cancer’s a**,” he said.
Mane also revealed that he is taking estrogen blockers as part of his treatment and joked that the medication may be partly responsible for his emotional response.
“I’m on oestrogen blockers but obviously not enough, I’ve been crying… happy, happy tears,” he said.
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