Published: October 16, 2008 08:23 am      

Johnstown man got surprise of his life

Tom Dorchak never thought about breast cancer, even after he felt something under his skin earlier this year.

“It was the farthest thing from my mind,” the 54-year-old Brownstown father of three said. “I thought it was just a cyst.”

Dorchak mentioned the lump during a routine exam by his doctor. That was Monday, Sept. 15.

By Tuesday night, he had the bad news.

Dorchak is one of about 2,030 men in the United States who will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year.

The next two weeks were a blur of medical tests, including a bone scan and “embarrassing” mammogram.

On Sept. 26, Dr. Patti Ann Stefanick removed Dorchak’s right breast, along with much of his chest muscle and nearby glands called lymph nodes.

Cancer cells were found in

13 lymph nodes.

“They hope they got everything,” Dorchak said.

He will next see a medical oncologist to map out plans for radiation and chemotherapy.

Although breast cancer strikes women about 100 times as often as men in this country, Stefanick said she’s seen three cases in men this summer.

Because men aren’t looking for them, tumors often are larger in men before they seek treatment, she said, urging men to know what to watch for.

“It’s the same as women,” Stefanick said.

“The breast has a lump. Usually it is a painless lump, but sometimes there is bleeding. They need to go show their doctor.”

Dorchak echoed her advice.

He has been a health-care worker for 16 years, but never thought about getting breast cancer.

He currently works as a technician in Memorial Medical Center’s emergency department.

“You have to get checked,” he said.

“Most men don’t realize that this even occurs. That’s the scary part. By the time they find out, it’s usually too late.”

Dorchak has diabetes, but considers himself otherwise healthy. He had no other symptoms of cancer.

He said his co-workers and the staff at Stefanick’s office have been supportive and helpful, and he credits his family with carrying him through the emotional ordeal.

He and his wife, Denise, have a daughter, Katie, at home and two sons, Andrew and Thomas Jr., who live in the Pittsburgh area.

“The hardest thing about this whole experience was telling my children,” Dorchak said.