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Eric Dunlap has a family history of breast cancer.
His mother is a two-time survivor. His grandmother died of the disease.
Still, Dunlap never expected to hear the words, "You have breast cancer."
He remembers holding the phone in disbelief.
After all, he considered himself healthy, never smoked. Never had a broken bone or even a cavity.
"I was shocked," said Dunlap, a resident of Stone Mountain. "I remember thinking" I'm a man. How can this be? "
Since that call 18 years ago, Dunlap, vice president of mortgage lending at the CDC Federal Credit Union, has been on mission to educate other men about breast cancer.
"As guys, we're very dismissive of bread," said Dunlap, 52. "We're just wired that way. We did not go to the doctor and, if I had not, I could have died. "
Men are also riding the pink wave during October, which is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Dunlap is one of several places in Atlanta. The American Cancer Society's Real Men's Wear.
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He also plans to participate in the 20th anniversary of Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk of Atlanta, which will be held at SunTrust Park on Saturday.
Indeed, men can get breast cancer.
Eric Dunlap, a resident of Stone Mountain, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2000. While breast cancer is rare, it can occur. CREDIT: FAMILY PHOTO
Rocker Peter Criss, the KISS drummer trainer, went public about his breast cancer diagnosis in 2008.
And actor Richard Roundtree, known for his role as a detective in the hit movie series "Shaft," wrote about his breast cancer diagnosis in Essence magazine.
Still, it's rare.
Roundtree admits in the 2009 piece that, when he was told he had breast cancer in 1993, he thought the doctor was "questioning my manhood because of these women, not men."
The American Cancer Society estimates that 2,550 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in men in 2018, compared to 266,120 new cases in women.
Breast cancer is about 100 times less common among white men than among white women. It is about 70 times less common among black men than black women.
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"No one chooses cancer," said Dunlap. "But you have to educate men."
It's so rare that there are no recommended breast screenings for men.
"We want to get rid of breast cancer, just like we do women," said Dr. John William Henson IV, chief of oncology services at Piedmont Healthcare. "The earlier you detect it, the more curable it is just taking it out. If you ignore it, then you run the risk that it spreads. Although breast cancer is much less common in men, it is crucial that they know that they can get breast cancer too, and they should not ignore it. If you feel something, do something. "
Dr. Jane Lowe Meisel, a medical oncologist and breast cancer expert at the Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, has spent some time talking about these issues with her patients.
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"I think one of the most challenging things about breast cancer awareness is that you're going to get rid of your mammograms and prevention," she said. "These messages may be empowering for many women, but sometimes men with the disease, who can not feel fully embraced by the movement, can feel a little isolated. I always reassure my male patients that, even though they are rare, it does not happen, and they are not alone. "
BRCA 2 gene mutation, she said. She recommends BRCA gene testing for all men who are diagnosed with breast cancer.
If you have a BRCA mutation, the women in the family may want to get tested for their risk of ovarian cancer and breast cancer would be elevated. BRCA2 mutation carriers also have an increased risk of prostate cancer, melanoma and some other cancers, as well.
Additionally, many men who have the disease have estrogen-sensitive breast cancer, so obesity can be an issue as well.
Other causes include a family history of breast cancer and Klinefelter syndrome, an X chromosome condition.
Dunlap was diagnosed with breast cancer in the summer of 2000.
He became concerned after he felt excruciating bread in his chest while exercising. The bread was so intense he could not finish. His wife thought he might be having a heart attack. When they touched the area that hurt, they both noticed a lump.
He remembers what he was doing earlier, when he was doing yard work, he noticed a spot of blood on his shirt. It came from his right nipple.
His doctor at the time said he was probably accidentally hurting himself in the yard and did not stop it, which he did.
He now thinks the two were related and wondered what he would have discovered or had done.
After the pain in his chest, Dunlap saw a different doctor. That doctor recommended a needle biopsy and discovered malignant cancerous cells.
By then, the cancer had spread to its lymph nodes. It was Stage II. He had a radical mastectomy and reconstructive surgery.
Dunlap, who is cancer free, now shares his story with other men.
He thinks about his sons, who are ages 19 and 22.
"I think about their future," he said. "I flashback to what if I had not gone in. The doctor said if I had not come in, I would not be here. "
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