Dear Ann Landers,
omen are told repeatedly to get checked for breast cancer because if it is caught early, there is a good chance of being cured. A less well-known fact is that men can get breast cancer, too. Athough it occurs in only one in 2,500 men, it's something to think about. Most doctors do not check for breast cancer when they examine their male patients. An alert young doctor asked me how long I had had the small lump near my right nipple. I told him it had been about four years and I had never paid any attention to it. He did a biopsy, and it turned out to be skin cancer. Minor surgery was performed, and the tissue was sent to a lab for analysis. To the surgeon's surprise, the result showed that I had two types of cancer. The hospital cancer board said I needed a mastectomy because one of the cancers was "infiltrating lobular carcinoma," a rare form of cancer in males. After three more opinions, I was told that surgery was the only way to be sure the cancer was eradicated. So I had a mastectomy, and thank God, they got the cancer in time. I am writing this letter to let men know that they, too, can get breast cancer-and should be aware of lumps or any noticeable changes in that area. Please, Ann, print it. --J.C., Tujunga, Calif.

Dear J.C.,
I hope every male who reads this column will pay atten-tion to what you have written. When you get your annual physical, ANN I AN I) HIS guys, take this column along. You'd be surprised how much physicians learn from their patients. Every so often a letter hits close to home: