Phil Alderson noticed the sore spot on his chest
Phil Alderson at Clatterbridge Hospital(Image: Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust)
A dad was diagnosed with breast cancer after finding a lump while playfighting with his young daughter. Phil Alderson, from New Brighton, is urging other men to get checked if they notice something unusual.
Phil was playing with his young daughter when her elbow caught a sore spot on his chest. Later that night, while watching television, Phil, then aged 44, found a small lump at the same spot, just behind his left nipple.
Phil initially brushed it off, but the lump concerned him, and he went to his GP. He said: “I joke that men are renowned for doing nothing and convincing themselves anything untoward will go away on its own.
“But I felt like I needed to get this lump checked for my own peace of mind. I told my partner at the time I was just going to get some back pain looked at because I didn’t want to make a fuss or worry anyone.”
Phil’s GP reassured him he had done the right thing and arranged for him to undergo a series of scans, as well as a biopsy and mammogram.
He added: “I remember being the only man in the waiting room, but it still didn’t click that these tests might be checking for breast cancer. I went on my own thinking I’d be in and out and on my way.”
Phil Alderson after surgery.(Image: Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust)
But it was after this appointment in July 2016 that Phil received the diagnosis of stage 2 breast cancer.
He said: “The feeling of being told I had cancer will stay with me forever. I didn’t know what to do with myself, so started sharing updates on Facebook as a way to express all the emotion and start conversations with others to encourage them to check themselves for symptoms.”
Phil underwent a mastectomy the following month at the Clatterbridge Cancer Centre. Surgery was successful and Phil was given the positive news the cancer had not spread.
Phil’s openness with what he had gone through and his own need to ask for mental health support led to advocacy work, including training as a peer supporter for others going through the same, and contributing to a book of 72 survivor stories.
He said: “Sometimes I needed to speak with Clatterbridge’s counsellor, and other times all I wanted was to sit in the garden at Maggie’s with a coffee.”
Maggie’s is a drop-in centre at Clatterbridge Cancer Centre – Wirral where patients and their families can receive free practical, emotional and psychological support. Phil is eager to signpost people to local help like this and continues to raise awareness.
In 2019, Phil was featured in a photographic campaign with his mastectomy scar on show.
Phil added: “If you notice a change in your body, regardless of gender, get it checked out. You know what’s normal and not normal for you – listen to your body.
“Early detection truly is key. Chances are it’s nothing, but it’s always better to be sure.”
Do you have a story? Contact jon.blackburn@liverpoolecho.co.uk