I was diagnosed with breast cancer in September 2012 and am blogging about the latest research on this disease and my personal journey at malebreastcancerblog.org and Tweet @obogler. I was working as a cancer biologist at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, one of the leading cancer centers in the world at the time.
I completed my active treatment – 6 months of chemo, surgery and then radiation – mid-2013, and have been taking Tamoxifen since then. I have also participated in several trials – more information on these on my blog.
My wife, Irene Newsham, Ph.D., is also a cancer biologist, and she preceded me with breast cancer by five years. We had very similar diagnoses, and nearly identical treatment plans – and are both doing well. These experiences have opened up an entirely new view for us on MD Anderson, which we knew primarily from the research, education and now administrative side. They tell you when you get married that you should share everything in life – while we may be overdoing it a bit, this shared experience has made it easier for each of us to face the challenges of living with cancer.
Wearing both an employee badge and a patient bracelet has given me multiple perspectives as I strive every day to make a difference in the battle against cancer. I currently work as the director of the Center for Cancer Training at the NCI.