Doug Harper, 61, is a father of five and former Print Worker, on a mission this Breast Cancer Awareness Month to spread the word that breast cancer affects everyone.
Doug, originally from Walthamstow and now living in Plumstead, didn’t realise men could get breast cancer, when he was diagnosed with the disease in 2012, just three days before his 50th birthday.
“When I first found the lump, I thought it was cyst”, said Doug who found a lump on the top part of his nipple. “I was laughing and joking with the doctor until I took my shirt off and his expression changed. I was the first man in three years to be diagnosed with breast cancer in my local health authority.
“All my life I’ve been scared of having cancer. If there was anything on the telly about it, I’d turn it over, or anything in the paper I wouldn’t read it. I didn’t want to know about it. Now, since being diagnosed with breast cancer, I’m always banging on about it! It’s so important for people to know, to catch it early.
“I’d like as many people to know as possible that men can get breast cancer. Even though only 400 men a year get breast cancer, the five-year survival rates are lower for men than women in the UK. This may be because men often ignore a lump, they leave it too late. There are some men who find it embarrassing even to check, but we’ve all got breast tissue.”
This October, for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Asda, Breast Cancer Now and CoppaFeel! are encouraging shoppers to make checking their boobs, pecs and chests for the signs and symptoms of breast cancer.
Doug said: “The charity partnership with Asda Tickled Pink is so important because it’s making people aware of breast cancer and getting the message out there. When I was diagnosed there was nowhere for me to go, no support groups, no visibility of male breast cancer.
“Since then, I set up the Virtual Meet Up with Dr Kerry Quincey who was doing a PhD on the psychological impact of breast cancer on men. We have a monthly online meeting for two hours that any man who’s been diagnosed with breast cancer can attend. Dr Quincey describes it as ‘men meeting down the pub’ or meeting up in the cafe. We just chat. We don’t just talk about breast cancer.
“We also helped shape the EastEnders storyline on male breast cancer. Ricky Champ was so brilliant, he got in touch with us and joined for more than two hours! He listened to what we all had to say and took a lot of it into his part in the show. It’s incredible to see male breast cancer being represented.”
Doug also writes a blog and two years ago he set up a men’s forum online with the help of Asda Tickled Pink charity partner Breast Cancer Now.
“I love helping people and helping to raise awareness. Meeting all these people has just been brilliant!” said Doug. “I’ve made friends for life.”
Tickled Pink aims to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer charities Breast Cancer Now and CoppaFeel! As part of the campaign Asda are highlighting the ‘Real Self-Checkers’, five people, including Doug, each with a different experience of breast cancer.
Breast cancer can affect anyone, the Real Self-Checkers reflect different experiences of the disease, including primary and secondary breast cancer, male breast cancer, breast cancer in different ethnicities and in different age groups. The Real Self-Checkers have shared their story and images to be displayed in-store, to be seen by millions of Asda shoppers this Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Breast Cancer Now’s Senior Clinical Nurse Specialist, Louise Grimsdell, said:
“Many people don’t realise that men can get breast cancer because they don’t think of men as having breasts. However, men do have a small amount of breast tissue.
“It’s important that men get used to checking their chest regularly and are aware of the signs and symptoms of breast cancer. The most common symptom is a lump in the chest area which is often painless. Other symptoms may include discharge from the nipple, a tender or inverted nipple, ulcers on the chest or nipple, or swelling of the chest area or lymph nodes under the arm.
“We urge men to contact their GP if they find any new or unusual changes in their chest area– while most changes won’t be cancer, on the occasions it is, the sooner breast cancer is found the more successful treatment is likely to be. For information and support surrounding signs and symptoms or how to check, speak to our expert nurses by calling our free Helpline on 0808 800 6000 or visit: breastcancernow.org/tlc-men.”
Now in its 27th year, Asda Tickled Pink is one of the UK’s longest running corporate charity partnerships and aims to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer charity partners Breast Cancer Now and CoppaFeel!. The 2023 Tickled Pink range will see over 200 pink products from over 50 different suppliers hit the supermarket shelves, and online, including the George clothing range and Asda own label lines.
Asda and their suppliers have created several exclusive pink products that customers can purchase to raise money for the Tickled Pink campaign from 21st September both instore and online. These include a wide range of products, such as Diet Coke cans, Warburtons Toastie Loaf, Fibre One, Heinz Baked Beans and Cushelle Quilted toilet roll.
