LEAWOOD, Kan. — Most people automatically think of women after hearing the term "breast cancer."
Admittedly, it's extremely rare for men, who account for less than 1% of all breast cancer cases, but Skip Quimby of Leawood beat those odds. Then, he beat cancer.
Now, Quimby hopes others can learn from his experience.
He first noticed a lump and some discomfort in his breast in 2007. He brought it up to his doctor who suggested he get a mammogram.
Quimby admitted that he wasn't in a hurry to get it done at first, but he got a new sense of urgency after speaking with a friend who beat breast cancer and learned more about the symptoms.
"She said, 'Do not wait; get in right now,'" Quimby said.
After a mammogram and a biopsy, doctors diagnosed him with breast cancer.
Quimby underwent surgery followed by four rounds of chemotherapy and was declared cancer-free five years later.
"It was a powerful experience," Quimby said.
He'll never forget seeing himself in the mirror for the first time after surgery.
"It was a little startling to see," Quimby said, "but it gave me a bit of a sense of the kind of experience a woman might have. Not the same experience, but a sense of it, and it was powerful."
He said he made a point to go somewhere for his treatment that specialized in breast cancer and can't thank the doctors at the University of Kansas Cancer Center enough.
Oncologist Dr. Qamar Khan said one of the biggest misconceptions about breast cancer is that men can't get it.
"The thought is that men don't have breasts, but they do, in fact, have breast tissue and cancer can develop in the breast tissue," Khan said.
Looking back, Quimby is glad he didn't waste too much time when he first noticed something was wrong.
"My advice is, you know your body," Quimby said. "If it doesn't feel right, say something. If it's nothing, great, but it might be something. That's been my experience. It might be something."
