Ex-KISS drummer cautions men against breast cancer

It is a disease usually associated with women, but founding member of rock band KISS and former breast cancer sufferer, Peter Criss, is trying to draw attention to the disease. "It can happen to you, and when it does, if you don't deal with it right away, with your 'dude' and your metal and your tattoos, you'll go in the box and we'll see you," he said. Criss has been body conscious his whole life, wearing spandex and drumming with his shirt off, so when he felt a painful lump under his left nipple, he knew something was wrong. A visit to the doctor confirmed his fears, and in Febraury 2008, he underwent surgery to have the cancer removed. He is now cancer free. The ex-KISS drummer says that he would like to see the approach to breast cancer catered more to men. He says that too many men don't seek treatment and think breast discomfort will go away on its own. He has been speaking out during Breast Cancer Awareness Month because he feels that men need to feel comfortable enough to come forward with what is traditionally perceived to be a woman's disease. While breast cancer among men is one hundred times less common than among women, it can be deadly. The American Cancer Society estimated there will be 1,910 new cases of male breast cancer in 2009, and about 440 US men will die this year from the disease. Men afflicted with it only constitute one per cent of all breast cancer cases.

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ITN | October 23, 2009

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