I started to call this one, “ BREAST CANCER – It’s not just for girls anymore“.  But I decided it might be in bad taste and people wouldn’t be able to tell the famous drummer Peter Criss from the band KISS was involved by the title.  You’d think with the name ‘Peter’, he would be more likely to have issues with testicular cancer but you’d be wrong. 

The American Cancer Society estimates there will be 1,910 new cases of male breast cancer in 2009, and about 440 U.S. men will die this year from the disease.

Peter Criss, Kiss drummer and artist behind  the beloved classics, “Beth” and “Hard Luck Woman” , underwent a lumpectomy in February 2008 and a mastectomy in March under the care of Dr. Alex Swistel, the director of the Weill Cornell Breast Center in New York.  Criss, now-63 says he often felt odd being the only man in the waiting room.

Breast cancer among men is on hundred times less common than among women, but it can be deadly.  Criss, is now cancer free and acknowledges that the treatment was unpleasant. 

Criss stated, ” Whoever invented mammogram machines had to do it in the medieval days, it was nearly impossible to fit a small breast into the machine.”  He described the pain as “excruciating” but a worthwhile price to pay to be healthy.