Ex-KISS Drummer Peter Criss Raises Breast Cancer Awareness With His Personal Experience

Former KISS drummer Peter Criss is a breast cancer survivor, and he’s working hard to get the message out to men, that it's a fact, they can get breast cancer too.

Peter Criss is now 65 years old, and he’s been cancer-free for four years. He recently did a great piece with Ultimate Classic Rock, and said that he's feeling great, but that he’s always concerned that the cancer will return.

Every day I wake up and I get a pain, I think of the big ‘C’ immediately. Because once it’s in your body, it’s evil, and I never thought I’d have that in my body. I even went into therapy over it all, because I just couldn’t believe it. You just have that fear, it never goes away. But I’m not worried. Every day above ground, my Dad used to say, is a good day.

He recalls how he first discovered the cancer.

It was a nodule, like a lump in my nipple and I discovered it when I got back from the gym. Look out for bumps and pain, a kind of pain where you just know, this is a kind of pain I’ve never had before. I’ve had cysts and I remember them and I remember the doctor taking them out. This was different, it hurt like hell, it got bigger as I screwed around with it.

Criss knew he needed to get the lump checked out. His wife, who was undergoing treatment for cancer at the time, told her doctor about it. Her doctor examined Criss, and then referred him to another doctor.

They operated right away, and since they caught it early, all of the cancer was able to be removed. Chris went on to say,

That is the key, early detection, my friend. The minute you feel something, I don’t care if it’s under your arm or your leg or your testicles or behind your ear. You must tell someone or go to your doctor immediately. Just sitting around, you won’t be here next year.

Criss has been busy giving lectures at hospitals, raising breast cancer awareness among men. He says his efforts have inspired men to get themselves checked out.