Jake M.,54, is preparing to walk his first Susan G. Komen Boston 3-Day® with one goal in mind: to raise awareness that men can get breast cancer, too.
In 2023, Jake discovered a lump in his armpit while putting on deodorant.
“In the moment, I thought it was weird, but I went on with my day,” Jake said. “Guys aren’t taught that when we find a lump, we should tell somebody.”
He didn’t mention it until a routine physical months later.
“My primary care physician listed off about 10 things that it could be and none of them were breast cancer,” Jake recalled. “But I’m thankful he wanted to be ultra sure and sent me for an ultrasound and mammogram, and then that snowballed to a biopsy.”
Jake was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer—but he believes it was likely more advanced.
“I know I was likely misdiagnosed stage 2 and was actually stage 3,” Jake explained. “Then about a year later when it traveled to my hip, that’s when it metastasized.”
Since then, he has undergone chemotherapy, a mastectomy, two additional surgeries and 10 weeks of radiation therapy. He also recently spent six weeks in a wheelchair after a hip biopsy.
From Diagnosis to Advocacy
Over the last two and a half years, Jake has turned his metastatic breast cancer (MBC) diagnosis into a personal mission.
“Breast cancer is still seen as the pink disease—a woman’s disease,” Jake said. “I’m hoping to try and change that through the advocacy I do and by walking in the Komen 3-Day.”
Through his TikTok account @theguywithstage4breastcancer, Jake shares his story to raise awareness and remind men to listen to their bodies and speak up when something doesn’t seem right.
“If I can make an impact with whatever time I left have,” he said. “I want it to be this: men can get breast cancer.”
Putting the MEN in KOMEN
That mission is what’s driving Jake to walk in the Boston 3-Day this summer. With his team, Putting the MEN in KOMEN, he hopes to raise $10,000 and bring greater visibility to male breast cancer.
“The Boston 3-Day is a big event,” he said. “If people see me, a man, holding a sign that says men can get breast cancer too, and they remember that—that matters and that is huge.”
To register for the 3-Day, visit the3day.org.
Statements and opinions expressed are those of the individual and do not express the views or opinions of Susan G. Komen. This information is being provided for educational purposes only and is not to be construed as medical advice. Persons with breast cancer should consult their health care provider with specific questions or concerns about their treatment.
