Detective who found he had breast cancer

But he was thrown into a woman's world when he was told he had breast cancer and underwent a mastectomy in August.

As one of just 240 men diagnosed with breast cancer each year compared to about 40,500 women, Jason, 33, of Bishopstone, near Seaford, found himself in a minority. He struggled to find information for men with breast cancer and discovered most literature was aimed at women.

"While I was sitting in the waiting room, I noticed everything there was for women but there was nothing for men at all," says Jason, who was a patient at the Nigel Porter Unit for breast care at the Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton.

Even the operation procedures had women in mind - surgeons gave him stitches in an area which would be hidden beneath a bikini if he was female.

For Jason and his wife, Lucy, 30, there was a role reversal.

"The only men there were with their partners," says Jason.

"There were no other men going in for treatment. The men sat outside while the women went in."

Lucy adds: "When we went to the breast cancer clinic, Jason asked me to go with him so it looked as if it was me going. It was such a shock because it is so rare. It was very difficult to get your head round."

Jason, who worked for Sussex Police before being transferred to the Metropolitan Police at Sutton last December, first realised something was wrong four years ago when he noticed a discharge from his right nipple which had leaked on to his white police shirt.

He went to his GP who referred him to the Nigel Porter Unit and underwent surgery at Brighton General Hospital to remove a mole in one of his ducts which was bleeding. The operation left a small scar on the outside of his nipple.

Jason had no further problems until March this year when he found a lump on the outside of the same nipple. Again, his GP referred him to the Nigel Porter Unit where a scan revealed a 2mm lump inside. He underwent another operation in June at Lewes Victoria Hospital where the lump was removed and sent away to be examined.

Because there was no history of breast cancer in his family among men or women and because he was so young, Jason was told the chances of him having cancer were extremely slim.

But when he went back for his consultation Jason was told pre-cancerous cells were found in the lump which may develop into cancer. His consultant advised him to have his nipple and ducts removed as a precaution.

Jason underwent surgery for the second time in as many months in August at Lewes and, when he woke, he discovered he had been given a full mastectomy.

Men may not have breasts in the same form as a woman but they still have a fleshy part around their nipple which is noticeable when they flex their chest.

Surgeons had taken a fist full of breast tissue off the top of Jason's right breast, leaving behind the pectoral muscle and an 8in scar.

"I was shocked. I was not expecting so much to be taken away," says Jason.

As a man, the former Sussex Police and Brighton rugby player had some advantages over women which meant the mastectomy did not affect him in the same psychological way.

"Once I got over the shock of it, I thought it wasn't going to look that bad once the hair grew back," he says. "It was not a big deal. The scars do not bother me that much. Over the years, I have picked up quite a few."

The removed flesh was sent away for tests and Jason got the news neither the doctors nor he really expected.

"I went back two weeks after and that is when they said they found cancer," says Jason.

Doctors found 13mm of pre-cancerous cells in the nipple and duct and 2mm of aggressive cancer in the breast tissue. Jason was told that, without the surgery, he could have developed a massive lump and a secondary cancer.

With male breast cancer normally affecting men between 60 and 70, Jason is one of the youngest men diagnosed.

Last month, surgeons at Brighton General Hospital removed the lymph glands from under Jason's arm and, last week, Jason was told there was no cancer in them. He won't need chemotherapy or radiotherapy but will take the cancer drug Tamoxifen for the next five years. He will also need check-ups every six months to make sure he doesn't develop prostate cancer or cancer in the other breast.

Jason has had the full support of his police colleagues.

"They were really shocked," he says. "Men get testicular, bowel and prostate cancer but no one expects a man to get breast cancer. They have been really supportive and have been coming down to visit me while I have been off."

Meanwhile, Jason is following the same health advice recommended for women with breast cancer.

He is eating more organic foods, has cut down on dairy products to avoid oestrogen which has been linked to breast cancer and avoids aluminum-based deodorants, which some believe may cause breast cancer.

As no man or woman in his family has had breast cancer, doctors do not know what caused it.

Jason is going to visit doctors at Guy's Hospital in London who will try to find out the cause and whether it is generic and could be passed on to his children, Kiarna, nine, Callum, three, and Joshua, eight months.

All three will all have to learn to examine their breasts.

Jason advises all men to pay more attention to their health: "If you think there is a lump anywhere get it checked out. I still think men take their health for granted.

"It is drummed into women from an early age to check their breasts and go for smears. It was only because I was so paranoid I had it checked. I never thought I would have breast cancer."

Facts about breast cancer:

A study by the University Of Texas found male breast cancer has significantly increased over the past 25 years. The scientists warned the disease was usually only discovered in men when the tumours were large and the cancer had spread
The main risk factor for men is age, with most cases being diagnosed between the age of 60 and 70. Other causes are high oestrogen levels, exposure to radiation, family history and a rare genetic condition called Klinefelter's syndrome
High oestrogen levels can occur with obesity, chronic liver condition and genetic conditions
The most common symptom for men with breast cancer is a lump which is usually painless. Other symptoms can include a discharge from the nipple which may be blood stained, swelling, a sore, a nipple which is pulled into the breast and lumps under the arm
Tests used to diagnose breast cancer in men are much the same as for women. These include an ultrasound, mammogram and taking a sample (biopsy)

The most common type of breast cancer in men and women is invasive ductal carcinoma. The early, precancerous condition which means there are cancer cells in the breast is called ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). Inflammatory breast cancer and Paget's disease can also rarely be found in men
Treatment can include surgery, including a mastectomy, radiotherapy, hormone therapy (such as the drug tamoxifen) and chemotherapy
Any man who wants support or advice about male breast cancer can write to Jason via The Argus. Please mark your envelope for the attention of Jason Foy, Body & Soul, The Argus, Argus House, Crowhurst Road, Hollingbury, Brighton, BN1 8AR
For more information, log on to www.cancerhelp.org.uk or www.breastcancercare.org.uk and type male breast cancer into the search engine. www.mywavelength.com is an internet-based support network where people can talk to others in the same situation. Alternatively, call the Breast Cancer Care helpline where you can talk to one of the male volunteers on 0808 800 6000 (textphone 0808 800 6001)

Jason is supporting Cancer Research UK's Making Strides Against Breast Cancer campaign. The Cancer Research UK Stride For Life Walk will be taking place at Devil's Dyke on Sunday, October 17 to raise money for research into breast cancer. For more details about the campaign or to enter log on to www.cancerresearchuk.org/makingstrides or call 08701 602040