I found a gristly lump in the shower but not on my balls – it was aggressive breast cancer

TAKING a shower on a hot summer's day is what Ken Synnott credits with saving his life.

The 49-year-old was washing himself when he noticed "something felt a bit funny".

It was a "gristly" lump, something Ken knew could be a symptom of cancer.

But, rather than find it on his testicle – as per most men's health warnings – the growth was on Ken's breast.

After seeing his GP, Ken was referred to the breast cancer clinic just before his holiday in September last year.

To his horror, after returning home he was called back to the hospital where doctors uttered three terrifying words, "you've got cancer".

Ken is one of around 370 men who are diagnosed with breast cancer in the UK every year – compared to 55,000 women diagnosed each year.

While rare, most men that are diagnosed with breast cancer are over the age of 60, Ken was 48.

Speaking to The Sun on Wear It Pink Day, Ken – an annual charity fundraiser – he said he was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer.

"They sat me down and gave me those three horrible words," he said.

"I went into hospital on Tuesday at 9am and by the Thursday afternoon I'd had a mastectomy."

'It felt like gristle'

Ken, who lives in Hertfordshire, said working in fashion meant he was more aware than most men of breast cancer and the symptoms.

It was the August Bank Holiday weekend last year, and desperate to cool off, Ken was treating himself to a refreshing shower.

The 49-year-old said: “It was a gorgeous weekend and I was soaping away in the shower and something just felt a little bit odd.

“It was really hot so I jumped in the shower again that evening to cool down.

"I could just feel something below the surface, it felt like a little bit of gristle or something.

“My build allowed me to easily see that the lump was there.

“In the end it turned out to be 10cm long, and it was grade three.”

Ken, who has taken part in lots of breast cancer campaigns and Breast Cancer Now charity events over the years, booked an appointment with his GP – waiting a week to see his doctor.

“When I noticed something I was more aware than an average guy, I just thought something felt a bit funny," he said.

“When I saw my doctor he said I had no history and that I was healthy, so that it was probably nothing to worry about.”

They sat me down and gave me those three horrible words, you’ve got cancer

It was another week before Ken was referred to see specialists at the hospital.

Ken said: “I was going away and it was a seven hour drive, but they wanted me to be around on the Friday for the results.

“I told them about my trip and they assured me to go on holiday as they thought everything would be ok.”

To Ken’s horror, after his holiday he was called back to the hospital.

On October 7 2019 he was officially diagnosed with breast cancer.

Ken had the procedure on October 9, 2019.

Signs and symptoms of breast cancer in men

Breast cancer in men is very rare – with around 370 men being diagnosed each year in the UK.

Breast Cancer Now says that most men who get breast cancer are over 60, although younger men can be affected.

Whatever age you are – here are the signs and symptoms you should be looking out for.

• A lump in the chest – this is often painless
• Liquid, sometimes called discharge, that comes from the nipple without squeezing and which may be blood-stained
• A tender or inverted (pulled in) nipple
• Ulcers (sores) on the chest or nipple area
• Swelling of the chest area and occasionally the lymph nodes under the arm

Struggled to cope with a 'woman's' disease

He said he counts himself lucky to have got his diagnosis so quickly, having known female friends who have been forced to wait seven months to get an answer.

But Ken as a man he said he's struggled to cope with breast cancer, because it is typically seen as a woman's disease.

“My physical recovery wasn’t too bad, but I rushed back to work within three weeks and it wasn’t a good thing to do," he said.

"I think there needs to be a bit more equality in terms of how people are treated who have cancer.

“I think I might have been treated differently in a work setting if I was a woman, people don’t say anything and the aftercare just didn’t seem to be there in terms of how fast my return to work was.”

Mental health struggles

As a result, Ken said his mental health was affected.

“I hadn’t thought it through, the emotional side of things has just as big of an impact as the physical.

“I was so calm through the process, you need to learn to just take things one day at a time”.

Ken said he realised he needed to accept his life had changed and said he was referred to a psychologist through the NHS.

He received six to eight sessions and said they helped him to understand things he hadn’t really thought about.

Ken added: “It’s a bit like Covid, you realise all of those silly little things in your life are actually unimportant."

Reconstruction op

Now Ken says he is considering reconstruction surgery – something which is rare for men who have had a mastectomy.

“I hadn’t even thought about it but my psychologist asked if it was something that I had considered," he said.

“It’s the little things, if you were to see a picture of me in a t-shirt you wouldn’t be able to tell, but I would notice, we are all vain to some extent.”

He will also receive hormone therapy for the next five years, as part of his ongoing care, which has left him feeling like he's going through the menopause.

“I have to take hormone therapy now and in the last six months it feels like I’ve gone through the menopause," he said.

“It does play with your mood, you are short of breath, you feel slightly different and just a little bit tired.

“I never expected it but it has made my female friendships stronger."

Ken said he wouldn’t have been able to get through the last year without the support of Breast Cancer Now.

He said: “In the last year they have really suffered due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“Their Wear It Pink Campaign is really joyful and fun and it’s basically people just walking around in pink all day.

“We are all a bit down in the dumps at the moment and it’s just a great thing”.

Carolyn Rogers, Clinical Nurse Specialist at Breast Cancer Now said that while breast cancer is in men in much rarer than the disease in women – it is vital that men know the signs and symptoms.

“The sooner breast cancer is diagnosed the more successful treatment is likely to be.

“If you have concerns about breast cancer, possible signs of the disease, or want to talk things through and find more support, you can speak to our expert nurses by calling our free Helpline on 0808 800 6000."

She added: “It’s crucial we do more to fully understand what causes breast cancer in men, how it differs from the disease in women and how best to treat it.

"Research like our Male Breast Cancer Study is critical to improving our understanding of the disease in men and we hope that it will continue to advance our knowledge.”

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