Original KISS drummer Peter Criss revealed that he was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008. Luckily, doctors caught the disease in early stages and Criss in now cancer free. The "Cat" is speaking out about the disease in honor of National Breast Cancer Month. "So many people must die from this," he said. "Somebody has to step up to the plate and say something to get them aware of how dangerous this is. Lots of men die: They wait, they don't go in, they put it off."

Criss noticed a painful lump in 2007 while working out. Since his wife was battling cancer at the time, Criss had the lump checked out. The next February, doctors removed what they considered a harmless nodule from his chest, only to discover that it was cancerous. In March doctors operated again to remove the remaining cancerous tissue.

According to the National Cancer Institute, nearly 2,000 American men will be diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009, resulting in almost 450 deaths. "Don't sit around playing Mr. Tough Guy. Don't say 'It's going to go away.' " Criss said in a statement. "It's just important, just go get checked out. It's not like you're going to lose your manhood."