A retired nurse who was diagnosed with breast cancer says the treatment drugs left him with menopause-like symptoms - including hot flushes and dizzy spells. Mark Nock, 61, was diagnosed with stage two breast cancer after finding a lump in his chest following a mammogram and biopsy.
To treat the condition, which is rare in men, he underwent a mastectomy and was prescribed a cancer-treating drug which brought on symptoms similar to the menopause. Now, thankfully Mark is cancer-free - but is using his experience to encourage men and women to check themselves for breast cancer.
He said: “The moment I felt that lump I knew what it was, I can't explain it, I just knew. My lump was obvious, I could feel it through thick tunic, and it felt like a thick rubber polo mint.
“The type of breast cancer I had is oestrogen positive. A lot of people think oestrogen is a women’s hormone and testosterone is male but everyone has both. The treatment is identical in men and women, requiring a full mastectomy and the same medication.”
Mark, from Birmingham, first noticed the unusual lump in his chest in May 2018. He spoke with a doctor who confirmed it was suspicious and referred Mark for a mammogram and biopsy.
Tragically, Mark’s fears were confirmed when he received a diagnosis of stage two breast cancer. To treat the tumour, he underwent a full mastectomy and was prescribed Tamoxifen, a type of hormone therapy which helps control breast cancer by stopping oestrogen binding to the breast cancer cells.
However, the drug brought on menopause-like symptoms, including hot flushes, severe dizzy spells which would leave him unable to stand, and morning sickness. His symptoms were so severe he took early retirement from his beloved job as a nurse to focus on his recovery.
Amazingly, Mark is now coming up to his five-year check and is optimistic about the results and hoping to be declared cancer-free. “I would say to men and women to turn [checking for cancer] into your intimate relations - jump in shower together and check each other out,” said Mark.
“I found the lump in May 2018 after a nurse knocked a bowl of water over my tunic as I went to do bed bath. As I dried the water off, I felt a lump on my chest and went into staff toilet and found big lump like huge polo mint under my right nipple.
“Breast cancer very rare in men – the treatments are the same, and I was prescribed Tamoxifen. These drugs have barely been tested on men and are designed for women’s hormone balance, so I was a bit of a lab rat.
“I had symptoms of morning sickness and menopause, I would be red hot one moment and freezing cold the next, sweat would pour off me onto the floor. I would get severe giddy spells in a hot environment and fall over – the spells were very fast and severe, it was like being so drunk you can’t walk.
“I had a giddy spell so severe that they had to practically carry me to the corridor, and it took two hours before I could walk in a straight line – I called up and resigned that day. I thought it would be a good idea to raise awareness of male breast cancer, it’s possible to save lives with a conversation.”
Men can experience menopause-like symptoms in middle age, according to the NHS. However these are not usually related to hormones and can be as a result of personal or lifestyle issues. It is unhelpful to use the term 'male menopause', the health service added.
