Entering the world of pink can be a challenge, from the blank looks at medical receptionist counters, as in, where’s the patient, to being handed a pink gown in preparation for a mammogram. Although male breast cancer is a rare disease, just one percent of new cases are men, it’s fortunate there is a variety of online resources to help newly diagnosed men and we certainly band together to get our message out there.
October, when the pink products roll out for yet more awareness raising, can be a bad time for breast cancer patients who have grown tired of Save the Tatas and other sexualized offerings. I can only imagine how women, especially Stage IV women, get totally upset with all this carry-on. As a guy with this disease, this month is particularly wearying, since decades of annual awareness campaigns have rolled around annually without proper acknowledgement that breast cancer is genderless. Hello, men get it too.
Of course, it’s understandable there would be stigma attached to a man diagnosed with what’ is mainly a women’s disease. So pink and feminine is the imagery and discussion about the disease, men are blindsided from coming up with a probable diagnosis of a lump behind their nipple. Both they, and very often the medical profession, will so often dismiss breast cancer as an option. This happened in my case. It took three months to get properly diagnosed. Meanwhile, the stage had increased from Stage 1 to Stage 3B. I should add, that the treatment I received was first-class and I am now approaching 12 years with no evidence of the disease.
Advocating For Men
With breast cancer, men are not always in the conversation. And they are often their own worst enemies when it comes to acting on symptoms for just about any disease you name. When they do get to a doctor their later diagnosis often leads to a poorer prognosis. As an editor of hundreds of survivor stories written by men, I’ve learned that guys with breast cancer are very reluctant to identify themselves as survivors of what is essentially considered a women’s disease. From reading these stories, I’ve gathered there are many reasons very few men come out in public, either as advocates, or even to relate their experiences going through diagnosis and treatment.
Years ago, not long after I was first diagnosed, the committee of my small town’s pink fun run invited me to address the crowd about what it was like for a man to get this disease. There I was, in a blue t-shirt, and before me was the sea of pink. I wanted people there to know the, while rare, men get breast cancer, too. Years later i attended a large event in my state’s capital city, Brisbane, and was astounded at the lack of mention of men. I asked to say some words over the PA system and got my message across.
Times Are Changing
Calling out gender blindness social media platforms seems like a full-time job, but it’s rewarding and really is achieving results. My breast friend, the late Rob Fincher, and I produced the Male Breast Cancer Manifesto a few years ago, to call for systemic change. Well, there has been change and many of our wish-list of requests to breast cancer charities have been met, including inclusive language, funds going to research on men, more inclusive imagery, and a reduction in sexual stereotyping. Obviously, there’s room for lots of improvement, but the corner has been turned.
And what about research? Given that only one percent of new cases are males, it would appear fair to spend this percentage of the funds donated on male breast cancer research. Since there is a lack of male-specific clinical research, and even basic collation and analysis of treatment meta data, the treatment for males is based on what has proven effective for women. Whilst it’s great that research on women translates into successful treatments, it’s fair to say that more studies to target a male patient cohort may yield new data for more effective treatment.
Certainly, men would feel better if they were recruited as subjects. I’ve come to understand that whilst BCAM raises mega-bucks for research, it really masks the fact this is a genderless disease. And many pink charities spend well over half the funds they raise on marketing and salaries.
For me, 12 years down the track and enjoying NED status, I still connect with others in my situation regardless of gender.
Rod Ritchie
President, Board of Directors
Male Breast Cancer Global Alliance
October 2026