A Bristol dad who had his right breast removed due to cancer finally feels “complete” again after getting a realistic 3D nipple tattoo. Retired police officer Dave Talbot was diagnosed with breast cancer a decade ago after discovering a lump while showering.
The 67-year-old underwent a mastectomy operation to remove his right breast and subsequent chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatments before being declared cancer-free in 2017, two years after his diagnosis. Breast cancer affects around 400 men in the UK each year.
Father-of-three Dave has been left with one nipple since the operation and says he felt “something was missing”, often joking with his grandchildren that he had been “attacked by a crocodile”.
But, this year, to mark the tenth anniversary of his diagnosis, Dave has enlisted award-winning medical tattoo artist Lucy Thompson, founder of the Nipple Innovation Project (NiP), which has recently partnered with Bradford Teaching Hospital, and got his 3D nipple tattoo in February.
“The tattoo almost completes the circle because it was something I was concerned about,” Dave told PA Real Life. “It’s just nice having matching nipples again after all these years.”
Dave had not experienced “any major medical issues” before learning of his cancer in 2015 which he described as discovering a “boil-sized” lump in his right breast while showering on holiday. The ex-policeman had previously lost his mum and brother to ovarian cancer and leukaemia, respectively, so took prompt action.
“I was blessed with an absolutely superb GP,” he explained. “So, I went and saw her, and she said, ‘Well, it’s probably fatty tissue given your age, but I’ll send you off to be checked for breast cancer’.”
An ultrasound and biopsy at the hospital confirmed Dave’s worst nightmare – it was an “aggressive” form of breast cancer.
The breast cancer surgeon who treated Dave noted that the cancer had been caught early thanks to Dave’s swift visit to the GP, but added that “a matter of weeks would have made a difference”.
Dave added: “Your first thought is, ‘How long have I got?’, because your attitude to cancer is, cancer is a death sentence. Then frustration and anger were the other responses… but since it had been detected early, I knew it was treatable.”
Along with the mastectomy, Dave had his lymph nodes removed and six rounds of chemotherapy, before taking part in the MoonWalk, a fundraising walk organised by breast cancer charity Walk the Walk, in May 2016.
After this, he had radiotherapy, completing his treatment in June of the same year, and said he felt “absolutely huge relief” at being cancer-free and “looked forward to being normal again”.
Dave admits that when hearing he’d be required to have a mastectomy he asked his surgeon if he could keep the right, cancerous, nipple.
“He [the cancer surgeon] said, ‘Well, you can, but I wouldn’t recommend it’, so I went away and had a conversation with my wife and I emailed him back and said, ‘Fine, take it away’, but it did bother me.
“The option of having a nipple tattoo, I think even for women in those days, was fairly unheard of, so I never really gave it much thought.”
Since his diagnosis, Dave has campaigned for men to get checked for all forms of cancer and has given speeches at the Police Federation conference, universities and worked with various charities. It was The Men’s VMU (Virtual Meet-Up), a male-dedicated support group for men diagnosed with breast cancer, which turned Dave on to the idea of having a nipple tattoo.
The initiative’s co-founder, and senior lecturer in psychology at De Montfort University, Dr Kerry Quincey, said: “Unfortunately, men typically have fewer post-mastectomy options available to them than women. Affording men the opportunity to undergo nipple tattooing – irrespective of whether they choose to have a tattoo or not – is therefore critical for improved breast cancer equality and inclusive aftercare.”
Dave said the 25-minute session to tattoo the 3D nipple was virtually painless and is scheduled for a touch-up soon as the skin is “very delicate”.
Medical tattooist, Lucy, has completed more than 1,000 nipple tattoos, describing herself as “very lucky to be trusted with something so important”.
She added: “We understand that talking about your nipples is very personal and it’s not often discussed, and this is why we’re keen to do collaborations and raise awareness.
“At the end of the day, it’s a natural body part that we shouldn’t feel shame over talking about and these tattoos can help people reclaim their bodies after cancer. To be able to see the transformation before my eyes – it’s something truly special.”
With the tenth anniversary of his diagnosis approaching in October, Dave feels he has now come “full circle” after having the tattoo. He wants to continue raising awareness of male breast cancer and hopes he can encourage other men to ask for paramedical tattoos without feeling “embarrassed”.
“Men like to be stoic but, if something changes in your body or you don’t feel right and it does not improve within a couple of weeks, get it checked,” he said.
“I feel complete now and I’ve got my body back looking the way it used to look.”
To find out more about the Men’s VMU, visit: themensvmu.org or, to find out more about the NiP, visit: nipcharity.org.