Breast cancer primarily impacts women, but men aren’t immune. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 1% of breast cancer cases are diagnosed in men. Just as in women, the risk goes up if a man has a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation or family history. Despite this, though, many men may not be aware of the risks. A new graphic novel is hoping to help with that. 

Researchers at the University of South Florida (USF) recently tested out a graphic novel that features men learning about their breast cancer risk, sharing the news with loved ones, and finding supportive resources. The goal is to help steer people away from the idea that breast cancer is a woman’s disease and to ensure men aren’t as under-informed as they can often be. The researchers say graphic novels have proved helpful with informing people on other health topics, so they wanted to see if the same applied with male breast cancer.

Marleah Dean Kruzel, associate professor in the USF College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Communication, explains, “We really wanted to create a resource for men, particularly younger men, that would increase their knowledge but also model behaviors important when managing BRCA-related cancer risks. One Google search of ‘BRCA and breast cancer,’ for example, and you see the content is mostly targeting women, and thus relays the idea that it isn't important for men. But it is! An inherited gene mutation can be passed down from both men and women.”

Kruzel and her colleagues recruited 20 men and 15 certified genetic counselors to check out the novel, which is available to the public at ICARE and HIS Breast Cancer. According to findings published in the Journal of Genetic Counseling, both groups felt it had helpful resources and relatable storylines while being visually appealing. Counselors also said it would be helpful in their practice. However, the researchers did note that some men still felt they’d struggle with communicating the risk to loved ones and were unsure how to get recommended screenings.

The positive reviews on the graphic novel, however, are encouraging to the researchers. They say they hope it may be shared more widely to help men learn about their risks, manage uncertainty around those risks, and talk to their doctors and family about it.

You can read the graphic novel here.