DATELINE NBC - Shaft Richard Roundtree Male Breast Cancer

When Richard Roundtree was diagnosed with cancer in 1993, he was shocked.

"The doctor told me, 'You have breast cancer,'" recalls Roundtree, who played John Shaft in the iconic 1971 film "Shaft." I heard the cancer part first -- it was only later that I heard the breast part. I couldn't believe it."

When the actor who played the original witty private investigator John Shaft in three films, announced that he had breast cancer, many men and women were surprised to learn that men could develop breast cancer too.

Roundtree found the lump while filming a movie in Costa Rica. Roundtree first felt a lump under his nipple as he was showering one morning. At first, he dismissed the lump as nothing, but a few weeks later, he noticed that it had not disappeared. "It just didn't feel right, I'm a bit of a hypochondriac, so I decided to get it checked out when I was back in L.A." To be cautious, Roundtree contacted his doctor, who recommended a biopsy.

When the biopsy revealed cancer, Roundtree was referred to an oncologist and underwent a mastectomy. A modified radical mastectomy is the most common form of surgery for male breast cancer and involves removing the breast, the lining over the chest muscles, and part of the chest wall muscles. Some or all of the axillary (underarm) lymph nodes may also be removed and sent to the laboratory for pathological examination to determine whether that cancer has spread past the breast.

After surgery, Roundtree underwent six months of chemotherapy to help destroy any remaining cancer cells. In addition to surgery and chemotherapy, other common forms of treatment for male breast cancer include radiation therapy and hormone therapy (often with the drug tamoxifen).

Fortunately, Roundtree's cancer was detected early enough for treatment to be successful. However, because breast cancer is far less common in men than in women, and many men believe that only women get breast cancer, men often ignore the early signs of breast cancer, attributing them to infection or another cause.

Some men are embarrassed to find a breast lump and delay making an appointment with their physician. Since men usually have less breast tissue than women, male breast cancer does not need to grow far to intrude into the skin and muscles underneath the breast. Men who experience signs of breast cancer should see a physician.

Origional broadcast 12/10/99