From Naivety to Awareness: Phil Documents his Journey with Male Breast Cancer

Phil Alderson found out he had breast cancer in 2016 and has since become an advocate for male breast cancer. He has kindly shared his story with us here.

When I first found a lump on my chest, I didn’t think much of it. Like many men, I assumed breast cancer was something that only happened to women. I was completely naive, unaware of what a breast cancer diagnosis really meant or how it could change a life in an instant. But something inside me said not to ignore it. The next morning, I went to see my doctor. That decision changed everything.

Hearing the word “cancer” for the first time is something I’ll never forget. It didn’t feel real. I remember the room going quiet, almost like the world paused. Until that moment, breast cancer had been something distant, a pink ribbon on a poster, a campaign you see once a year. Suddenly, it was mine. I quickly realised that cancer doesn’t discriminate. It doesn’t care whether you’re a man or a woman, young or old. It doesn’t care what’s going on in your life, or even if you’re a celebrity. It can happen to anyone. And in that instant, I went from being an onlooker to being part of a community I hadn’t even known existed.

The early days were a blur of mammograms, biopsies, and waiting. I learned very quickly that men aren’t usually part of the breast screening conversation, even though we have breast tissue too. I was fortunate that my diagnosis came early, and I didn’t have to fight for my place in the system. But I remember thinking how easily I could have ignored it, how simple it would have been to convince myself that it was nothing. That thought still drives me today.

What I didn’t understand at the beginning was how many factors can contribute to risk, not just genetics, but lifestyle, diet, and even environmental exposures. I started to think about my own habits, the years I’d spent not really paying attention to what I put into my body or the signs it was giving me. It was a wake-up call in every sense. I realised how important it is for both men and women to understand their own potential risks, not out of fear, but out of respect for life itself. Awareness isn’t about worry; it’s about empowerment.

As I came through treatment, something in me shifted. I didn’t want to go back to life as it was before. I wanted to do something with what I’d been through, to make the experience count for more than just survival. That’s when my advocacy began to take shape. I started speaking out about male breast cancer, sharing my story publicly to show that it can affect anyone. I wanted to give it a face, to remind people that the disease doesn’t belong to one gender.

That decision opened doors I never expected. I became involved in awareness campaigns, modelling in photoshoots and walking in fashion shows that celebrated survivorship and inclusion. What began as one campaign led to many more, including multiple art projects and fashion shows across Europe, each one helping to challenge stereotypes and spark conversations about what breast cancer really looks like. Standing on catwalks alongside women, I realised we were united by something far deeper than appearance: the shared strength to rebuild our lives and redefine our stories.

Creativity became my outlet through social media, fashion, and art, even creating a community survivorship story book along the way. I found new ways to express what it feels like to live beyond diagnosis – the fear, the gratitude, the vulnerability, and the courage to move forward. Every project was a reminder that there’s beauty in resilience and purpose in pain.

Somehow, life kept surprising me. I even learned to dance, a rumba of all things, for a charity event. It pushed me well outside my comfort zone, but it also symbolised something important: that after cancer, you can still say yes to new experiences and opportunities. It taught me to embrace life with both hands, to say yes more, to try new things and see where they might lead.

Today, I see my journey as more than a personal story. It’s a reminder that awareness is everyone’s responsibility. Whether you’re male or female, young or old, we all need to be aware of our bodies and understand the risks we face, from family history and hormones to the small daily habits that quietly shape our health. Checking yourself, talking openly, and taking early action can save your life.

I was naive once, but I’ve learned that knowledge is power. Cancer changed my life, but it also gave it new meaning. It’s a cliché, but if sharing my story helps even one person stop and think, helps one person realise that yes, it can happen to them, then everything I’ve been through will have been worth it.

Because awareness isn’t just about surviving. It’s about living fully, saying yes more often, and daring to see where life can take you. And that’s exactly what I intend to keep doing.

Phil is active online at https://www.instagram.com/philaldo/ or https://philalderson.com/