Man who thought males couldn't get breast cancer gets diagnosed with the disease

17 October 2023 , 09:32

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The dad went through 12 rounds of chemotherapy and over 36 radiation treatments (Image: Instagram)

A man who thought males could not get breast cancer has been diagnosed with the disease.

After having “no idea” the disease could affect him, he was then diagnosed with stage four breast cancer. Zac Yarbrough, 43, first noticed signs of the disease when he felt a knot below his left nipple when he was swimming with his two toddlers five years ago. He thought nothing of it and continued traveling the world to compete in fishing tournaments.

The lump then grew to the size of a golf ball making him look like he “had a boob.” Although men make up just one percent of all breast cancer cases in the US, Mr Yarbrough's doctor in Florida still sent him for a mammogram. The cancer had spread to his lymph nodes and lungs. Mr Yarbrough told Insider: “The toughest part of my cancer journey has been knowing that I avoided seeing doctors for months. But many people, like me in the past, have no idea that guys can get breast cancer.”

Zac Yarbrough had a radial mastectomy, which removed his nipple, areola, muscle, and lymph nodes (Instagram)

To this day he still fights the disease and now gets chemotherapy once every three weeks (Instagram)

Within five days of his diagnosis, he had a radial mastectomy, which removed his nipple, areola, muscle, and lymph nodes around the breast. He added: “I knew that would give me my best chance at survival. For that, I don't mind having scars.” The father went through 12 rounds of chemotherapy and over 36 radiation treatments. To this day he still fights the disease and now gets chemotherapy once every three weeks and also takes several medications.

He said: “I just got a scan that showed the best results I'd had in years. My body is responding well to treatment. Mentally, I'm determined to keep living life as I always have. There's just too much life to live. I learned early on that I could be tired at home on the couch, or I could be tired in the great outdoors. I'll choose the water or the woods any day.”

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Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in the US and the world. The American Cancer Society (ACS) estimates that in 2023 2,800 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer, and 530 will die from the disease. However, nearly 300,000 women will receive the same diagnosis this year, resulting in more than 43,000 deaths.

He said that despite his illness ''there's just too much life to live'' to sit on the sofa at home (Instagram)

Importantly, the ACS also states that with early detection, nearly 99 percent of breast cancer patients will survive five years after their diagnosis. Once it spreads, that rate drops down to 40 percent. This can be especially concerning for men, who may not recognize the symptoms as quickly as women.

A 2019 study published in JAMA Oncology found that men with breast cancer have a higher mortality rate than women. While women have an 86.4 percent survival rate, men only are 77.6 percent likely to live after five years. This could be because most men are diagnosed later than women due to a lack of knowledge from both patients and doctors. Currently, all women aged 50 to 74 are advised to get checked via a mammogram - a low-energy X-ray of their breasts - every two years. There are no screening guidelines for men.

Emilia Randall