Catherine Tyldesley urges men to 'check pecs' following husband's breast cancer scare
Catherine Tyldesley has revealed her husband experienced a breast cancer scare after finding a lump behind his nipple.
The actor, 39, who married photographer Tom Pitfield in 2016, confirmed he has since been given the all-clear.
However, in a post on Instagram, she explained that they had together decided it was important to raise awareness about the potentially deadly condition.
She wrote: "Naturally, when you find a lump anywhere, as much as you try not to – you worry. After a scan and an ultrasound GP still wasn’t sure what we were dealing with. So Tom needed a biopsy."
Tyldesley revealed that she had herself found a lump several years ago that was "nothing", and her husband saw the same breast cancer specialist.
The star continued: "The wait was painful as always. One of my male pals had breast cancer many years ago.
Read more: Man credits TV advert for saving his life after finding breast cancer lump
"I knew it was rare, but it happens. Tom had no idea that men could even get breast cancer."
Raising awareness of male breast cancer
According to Breast Cancer UK, around 400 men in the UK are diagnosed with the condition every year, and it is usually discovered at a later stage making it harder to treat.
The former Coronation Street cast member noted that "thankfully" her husband got the all-clear, with the lump diagnosed as a gynaecomastia – a common benign condition in men.
She added: "We are so relieved. But our experience has made me want to raise awareness about men’s breast cancer. It has come to our attention that most men don’t even realise it’s a possibility."
The mother-of-two, who received more than 7,900 'likes' on her post and was praised for spreading the important message, urged men to "check your pecs".
Read more: Catherine Tyldesley asks her husband for advice ahead of filming sex scenes
She noted that the symptoms were the same as for women, and were most commonly a lump, but also nipple distortion and bloody nipple discharge.
Male breast cancer symptoms
In full, according to the NHS, the main symptoms of breast cancer in men include:
a lump in the breast – usually hard, painless and doesn't move around within the breast
the nipple turning inwards
fluid oozing from the nipple (nipple discharge), which may be streaked with blood
a sore or rash around the nipple that does not go away
the nipple or surrounding skin becoming hard, red or swollen
small bumps in the armpit (swollen glands)
If you experience any of these symptoms, don't delay in speaking to your GP.
For more information, see our useful guide on what you need to know about male breast cancer.
For support, you can call Macmillan on 0808 808 00 00, chat to the charity's specialists online, or visit its online community.
Watch: Kelly Hoppen talks candidly about her fear of getting tested for breast cancer before diagnosis
