Men can get breast cancer too

Tampa, Florida--You probably know someone who has breast cancer. Maybe your mom, sister, wife or even you.

It is much more common in women. Many men don't realize they can also develop this disease. In fact, roughly 2,000 men were diagnosed this year alone, including 61-year-old Frank Harmon.

Harmon says he has spent more time in the doctor's office in the past month than he has in the past 10 years.

"I was just taking a shower and washing and I felt something funny on my left breast and it didn't hurt but it was odd. So, I started mashing around there and noticed I had a lump," says Harmon.

He didn't wait to get it checked out. Days later, he learned he had breast cancer. He decided to have a bilateral mastectomy because of his family history. His mother died from breast cancer at 42 years old. His aunt and sister have also had breast cancer. Harmon actually tested negative for a genetic predisposition to breast cancer.

"There have been a lot of emotions that have been going on in the past month," he says.

Click here to read the Mayo Clinic's risk factors for male breast cancer.

Doctors say male breast cancer is rare. One percent of breast cancer patients are men, but they stress it's always important to pay close attention to any changes in your body.

Dr. David Echevarria of Tampa Surgical Associates says Harmon is the third male breast cancer patient he's treated in 16 years. Men have breast tissue that can also undergo change. Most men are between the ages of 60 and 70 years old.

He says the most common sign of breast cancer for both men and women is an often painless lump. Other male breast cancer warning signs include:

• Skin dimpling or puckering
• Development of a new retraction or indentation of the nipple
• Changes in the nipple or breast skin, such as scaling or redness
• Nipple discharge

Dr. Echevarria says pay attention to what may look like a scaling, superficial mole on your breast. Also, check for changes in lymph nodes under your arm.

Harmon is thankful he caught it early and hopes his story will get guys to pay attention to any changes in their breasts.

He also says he is grateful for his supportive wife.

"She's kept me up. I've had a lot of downs. I was at the bottom when I found out I had cancer and then, basically, at the top when I found out it had not spread. She's a good support. We're going to go to Hawaii in October. She's taking good care of me."

Click here to learn more about coping with a diagnosis.