Male breast cancer victim campaigns to change disease name

A young man who was diagnosed with breast cancer aged just 24 is campaigning for the name of the illness to be changed.

Nicky Avery, from Southend in Essex, England, is currently battling his second bout of cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy.

He was first diagnosed with breast cancer in August 2006 and is one of the youngest people ever to have the disease in Britain.

He had a mastectomy and went into remission but the disease came back in May this year.

He is now campaigning for breast cancer to be called “chest cancer”, with the hope of raising awareness of the disease among men.

“My first symptoms were inflammation and itching around my nipple but the doctors said it was nothing to worry about,” he said.

“Then my nipple started going hard and was very itchy, and it began to hurt.

“I went back to the doctors and had a biopsy and was told two weeks later that I had breast cancer.

“The doctors said they had never seen breast cancer in somebody my age and I had never even heard of it in men.

“I just couldn’t believe it. I didn’t know what to say. What do you say to your friends and family?

“Nobody could believe it when I told them.”

Mr Avery, now aged 27, is currently having chemotherapy and hopes to recover from the disease.

“I’m taking it one day at a time, the doctors say time is on my side.

“But my aim while I’m still here is to campaign and raise awareness of this disease in men.”

Mr Avery is launching his campaign today with the help of male dance group the Dreamboys and 'X Factor' star Andy Abraham.

Dreamboys manager Bari Bacco said: “Chest cancer can hit any man. We are happy to give Nicky our full support in bringing this to the attention of every young man in the UK.”

Dr Lesley Walker, Cancer Research UK’s director of cancer information, said: “We understand that any cancer diagnosis can be very distressing.

“Breast cancer is rare in men whereas it is the most common cancer in women.”