Actor and former World Championship Wrestling (WCW) star Tyler Mane, best known for his role as Sabretooth in the 2000 hit “X-Men,” has revealed that he has been diagnosed with breast cancer.
The 59-year-old revealed his “super rare” diagnosis on June 8, telling fans he was starting chemotherapy treatment.
“I have bad news. I will start chemotherapy today,” Mane said in a Facebook video. “One in 750 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime, and I’m one of them.
“Because it’s rarely talked about, it’s usually discovered at a later stage and has worse outcomes. I want to change that.”
The actor, who reprized his role as Sabretooth in 2024’s Deadpool and Wolverine, said he plans to document his treatment process to raise awareness about male breast cancer and encourage other men to be aware of potential symptoms.
“Come on a trip to kick this guy’s ass,” he said. “Send this to 10 of your friends and get them to follow me because everyone needs to hear this. Damn it, Gun!”
Mane explained that he initially wanted to keep his diagnosis private.
“That’s right. I have breast cancer. And yes, it’s extremely rare. Only 1% of breast cancers are men,” he wrote.
“Honestly, my first reaction was to keep it a secret. I mean, it’s a bit embarrassing. But then we found out that men are more likely to be diagnosed at an advanced stage because it’s not talked about and searched for.”
Mane also praised his wife, Renee Gearings, for encouraging him to seek treatment after doctors initially ignored his concerns.
“In fact, all my doctors rejected it, but I was only able to get it early because my wife encouraged me to have the lump removed,” he wrote. “Okay, let’s talk about it!”
According to the American Cancer Society, less than 1% of breast cancer cases in the United States occur in men.
According to the organization, the disease is often diagnosed later in men because they are less aware of the condition and symptoms may go unnoticed.
Symptoms may include a painless lump in the chest. Skin or nipple changes such as dimples, scaling, or discoloration. Nipple discharge and bleeding may also occur, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Male breast cancer most commonly occurs in older men, but it can occur at any age.
Born in Saskatchewan, Canada, Mane wrestled in WCW as Big Sky in the late 1980s and early 1990s before retiring from professional wrestling in 1996 and moving to Hollywood.
He later rose to fame as Sabretooth in the X-Men series and appeared in films such as Joe Dirt, The Scorpion King, Rob Zombie’s Halloween films, and The Devil’s Rejects, according to IMDb.
