‘X-Men’ star Tyler Mane reveals breast cancer diagnosis
Tyler Mane, the actor best known for playing Sabretooth in the 2000 hit “X-Men” and a former World Championship Wrestling (WCW) star, has revealed that he has been diagnosed with breast cancer.
The 59-year-old shared the “super rare” diagnosis on June 8, telling fans he was beginning chemotherapy treatment.
“I have some bad news. I start chemo 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 found at later stages and has worse outcomes. I want to change that.”
The actor, who reprised the role of Sabretooth in 2024’s “Deadpool & Wolverine,” said he plans to document his treatment journey to raise awareness about male breast cancer and encourage other men to pay attention to potential symptoms.
“Come along for my journey to kick this thing in the ass,” he said. “Send this to 10 of your friends and have them follow me because people need to hear this. F–k cancer!”
Mane explained that he initially wanted to keep his diagnosis private.
“Yep. I have breast cancer. And yep, it’s super rare. Only 1% of breast cancers are men,” he wrote.
“I’ll be honest, my first reaction was to keep it secret. I mean it’s kind of embarrassing. “But then I found out that men are more likely to be diagnosed in advanced stages because it’s not talked about and not looked for.”
Mane also credited his wife, Renae Geerlings, for encouraging him to seek treatment after doctors initially dismissed his concerns.
“In fact, my doctors all dismissed it and it was only because my wife pushed me to get the lump removed that I got in early,” he wrote. “So let’s start talking about it!”
Fewer than 1% of breast cancer cases in the US occur in men, according to the American Cancer Society.
The organization says the disease is often diagnosed later in men because awareness is lower and symptoms can be overlooked.
Symptoms can include a painless lump in the chest; changes to the skin or nipple, such as dimpling, scaling, or discoloration; and nipple discharge or bleeding, according to the Mayo Clinic.
While male breast cancer most commonly affects older men, 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 into Hollywood.
He later rose to fame as Sabretooth in “X-Men” and appeared in films including “Joe Dirt,” “The Scorpion King,” Rob Zombie’s “Halloween” movies and “The Devil’s Rejects,” according to IMDb.
