One man's 'breast cancer' fight

Mr Avery wants the male breast cancer to be called 'chest cancer'

The youngest man in the world to be diagnosed with breast cancer says that treatment has contained the disease.

Nicky Avery, from Southend in Essex, was 24 when he was told that he had the illness, and three years on his doctors say that scans suggest his treatment has been successful.

"I'm over the moon," Nicky told Newsbeat: "The future is looking rosy. I'm going to take my oncologist to watch Arsenal."

Nicky still has to have bone fusion which he describes as "basically a medical polyfiller" to keep his illness at bay.

He is now planning to campaign to have the male form of breast cancer renamed 'chest cancer' to encourage more men to get themselves checked.

"If you say breast cancer to a man they take a step back, it is so taboo," he said.

"But if we could change the terminology, men would feel more comfortable about going to the doctors.

"Men haven't got breasts they have got chests."

A Department of Health spokesman said: "We understand that having a disease that largely affects women can cause embarrassment to male patients.

"However, the term breast cancer is anatomically correct and is the agreed terminology internationally."

'Shocked'

Nicky said he was "shocked" at his initial diagnosis as he didn't believe that men could get breast cancer.

He said: "I saw my surgeon who said they sent my biopsy off to a lab without labelling it and the scientists thought I was a 64-year-old woman."

The cancer later spread to the bones of his head and his arm.

He has since undergone a mastectomy, intensive chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Doctors say that he will have to continue to have a bone infusion every three weeks to keep him alive.

Nicky wants to raise awareness about the disease.

"There are a lot of men out there that don't know they can get breast cancer, you know what men are like, we sort of leave the problem and let it fester.

"I will keep fighting and campaigning until something is done. If I can save one or two lives then I will have done my job."