Tyler Mane, ‘X-Men’ star and former pro wrestler, says he has ‘super-rare’ breast cancer

About 1 per cent of breast cancer cases are diagnosed in men, 'X-Men' star Tyler Mane told followers on Instagram. (Caitlin Ochs/Reuters via CNN Newsource)

“X-Men” actor Tyler Mane has revealed that he has a “super rare” form of breast cancer.

Mane, who appeared as Sabretooth in the 2000 movie, revealed in a post on Instagram that he has been diagnosed with the condition predominantly associated with women.

The 59-year-old former pro wrestler, who reprised the Sabretooth role in “Deadpool & Wolverine” in 2024, said he initially thought to keep his diagnosis a secret but eventually decided to speak out.

In a video posted on Instagram Tuesday, he said: “I have some bad news: I start chemo today. One in 750 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime and I’m one of them.”

In the accompanying caption he described the condition as “super rare,” saying “only 1% of breast cancers are (in) men,” which explains why there is still stigma around it.

“I found out that men are more likely to be diagnosed in advance stages BECAUSE it’s not talked about and not looked for. 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.”

“I’ll be honest, my first reaction was to keep it secret. I mean it’s kind of embarrassing,” he admitted. Learning more about the disease convinced him to speak out, he said.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about one in 100 cases of breast cancers diagnosed in the United States is in men. The situation is similar globally, with the World Health Organization estimating that between 0.5 and one per cent of breast cancers occur in men.

Being that rare means the condition can often be overlooked or misdiagnosed, which means many are only found at later stages.

Several factors can influence a man’s likelihood of developing the potentially deadly disease, including age, a family history of breast cancer and being overweight, the CDC says.

Mane, who has 63,100 followers on Instagram, also included a brief clip of himself in hospital, hooked up to an IV. He raised his middle finger and mouthed the words “f**k cancer.”

He posted an update on Tuesday after a second day of chemotherapy, in which he appeared emotional and thanked people “for all the love and outreach” following his initial announcement. Asking his followers to share his message, he wrote: “I’m gonna kick cancer’s ass. Thank you for coming along for the journey. We need to spread the awareness. Cancer sucks but if you catch it quick enough, you can win this battle.”

Mane, who started out as a professional wrestler before moving into acting, also appeared as villain Michael Myers in the 2007 slasher movie “Halloween” and the 2009 follow-up, “Halloween II.”

Lianne Kolirin, CNN