On October 20, 2024, I crossed the finish line of the Amsterdam Marathon with a time that would qualify me for both the Chicago and Boston Marathons. Forty-one days later, on November 30, I noticed a lump in my armpit that would change my life forever. Two days after Christmas came the phone call nobody wants: I had breast cancer.
Looking back, there were warning signs. Around August, I noticed what I thought was a cyst under my right nipple. I’d had cysts before, even in a breast when I was ten, and they always went away. I assumed this one would too. I didn’t tell anyone. Mistake number one.
While I waited for the cyst to shrink, my nipple began to flatten. I didn’t know what nipple inversion was and that it could be a sign of breast cancer. I did nothing. Mistake number two.
But when I found the lump in my armpit, on the same side as the cyst in my breast, I wasn’t going to make mistake number three. I called my doctor.
The oncologists at the local Center for Breast Care confirmed Stage 2 HR+ HER2- invasive ductal carcinoma, the most common form of breast cancer, with at least one lymph node involved. The initial plan included chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation.
It was never a question that we’d seek a second opinion at a major cancer center. That led us to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and their Program for Breast Cancer in Men, led by Dr. Jose Pablo Leone. There, I was offered a spot in the ETHAN Clinical Trial, which uses endocrine therapy (blocking and reducing the availability of hormones that feed the cancer) before surgery instead of chemo. Joining also meant I could help advance treatment options for men beyond those adapted from women’s trials. By the end of our day in Boston, I was participant number nine.
That decision changed everything. Suddenly we had a plan, a vision, and a way to make something positive out of it all. It turned a nightmare into an adventure.
Over nineteen weeks on a combination of Anastrozole, Degarelix, and Abemaciclib, I stayed active, training hard and even running four marathons. At my monthly visits, I had fun watching the doctors’ reactions when I told them how many races I’d run since our last appointment.
On June 30, I had a successful unilateral mastectomy with removal of six lymph nodes, followed by sixteen sessions of radiation in August and September. Just a couple more chapters in my breast cancer adventure.
When my surgeon cleared me to run again, I jumped straight into marathon training. I wasn’t going to miss Chicago in October or New York City in November, where I had a charity entry supporting the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
My breast cancer adventure started after I crossed one finish line. I’ll keep crossing them, be they milestones or marathons, and every step I take is a step forward in the fight against breast cancer for everyone.