Dad diagnosed with breast cancer after finding lump when daughter nudged him

Illustrator Phil Alderson was alerted to a lump behind his left nipple by a nudge from his daughter, Evie, 10, as they played together during summer 2016.

Two weeks later, Phil, from Merseyside, was diagnosed with breast cancer.

The 48-year-old became one of the 350 men in the UK to be diagnosed with breast cancer each year, according to Cancer Research UK.

Within two months of the diagnosis, Phil was given a mastectomy and then given the all-clear.

Phil is now campaigning with celebrities including Calum Best for breast cancer charity Future Dreams to raise awareness of the condition in men.

The dad now feels lucky to be alive.

He said: ‘I realised life is relatively short, so I started saying yes more and pushed myself out of my comfort zone.

‘The reason I speak out is to try and help others. If having a conversation about it can help save a man or women’s life, it’s worth it. I’m not ashamed to talk about it.

‘The biggest reaction I get when people hear I’ve had breast cancer is, “I didn’t realise men could get it”.’

The day after Evie nudged Phil, he went to get the lump on his chest checked out.

He said: ‘I wasn’t worried. There was no mention of what it might be and breast cancer didn’t cross my mind. I wasn’t self-conscious about going to a breast screening unit either.

‘I just thought, “let’s get it checked out and go from there”.’

Two weeks later Phil, who had no history of breast cancer in his family, had an appointment at the Wirral’s Clatterbridge Hospital, where he was given a physical examination, mammogram, ultrasound and a biopsy.

He added: ‘It felt more real when I had to tell people, like my partner at the time and my family. They were in shock.

‘Thankfully, Evie kept my mind off it.’

The biopsy confirmed that Phil had stage two breast cancer and he was booked in to have a mastectomy.

He had the lump and nipple removed, a mastectomy, and the sentinel node in his armpit – the first lymph node the cancer could spread to – taken away.

During surgery, Phil had 32g of cancerous tissue removed.

He was placed in the women’s ward with women who also had breast cancer and says they were ‘strong and fantastic’.

A couple of weeks later, Phil was relieved to discover he would not need chemotherapy or radiotherapy.

Instead, he was prescribed Tamoxifen, a hormone therapy that lowers the risk of early breast cancer coming back after surgery or developing in the other breast, for five years.

‘The doctors weren’t sure how it would affect me, because it blocks oestrogen production,’ he said.

‘Some women find their voice deepens, or they grow more hair, but I haven’t noticed any side effects.

‘I was relieved when I found out I wasn’t having chemo or radiotherapy, but I still hadn’t really processed what was happening.’

Thankfully the speed with which his cancer was dealt made Phil’s journey easier.

Next year it will be five years of Phil being cancer-free and at the moment he is still under observation.

He had genetic testing, but did not have the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutations, which can increase the risk of breast cancer.

‘If I had the gene, there was a 50% chance my daughter would have it too, so this was very reassuring news,’ he said.

‘She will be screened from the age of 40, rather than 50, to be on the safe side.’

Phil’s life changing experience caused him to take stock.

The dad started running business workshops and volunteered with a charity that brings together young people with old people to try and combat loneliness.

Then in 2019, Phil joined Zebedee Management, a modelling agency aiming to increase the representation of disabled people, who were looking for a man with a mastectomy scar for a campaign.

Now Phil is one of the faces of a new campaign called Let’s Nail Breast Cancer, for the charity Future Dreams, alongside TV personality Calum Best and The Apprentice judge Claude Littner.

Phil added: ‘My main message is if you experience any change in your body get it checked out.

‘The earlier you catch it the better the outcome for you and for the NHS who can save money on treatments such as chemotherapy if it has not had a chance to spread.’

Future Dreams is a charity dedicated to raising funds for support, awareness, and research for those touched by Breast Cancer.

To join Phil or find out more head to the Future Dreams website.

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