Tag Archives: Mammogram

Raising Awareness for Male Breast Cancer at the 3-Day

Jake Messier is living with metastatic breast cancer and is seen at chemotherapy.

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. 

Jake Messier and his wife are preparing to walk in the Susan G. Komen Boston 3-Day.

“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.”  

Jake Messier takin a selfie at his chemotherapy appointment.

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.
 

Jacki P.’s 3-Day Story: 78 and Still Showing Up

Jacki P. at the Susan G. Komen 3-Day.

When Jacki P. was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1996, she was terrified. Today, at 78, she is a survivor who—after 20 years of participation—remains deeply committed to the Susan G. Komen 3-Day®. 

“Last year, I thought I should hang up my shoes because it’s so hard to raise fundraising dollars at my age,” Jacki said. “But when a former teammate was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer, I realized I can’t stop. I need to do more.” 

The Mammogram That Changed Everything 

Jacki’s life changed with a routine mammogram in 1996. Shortly after the exam, she received a phone call from a breast cancer surgeon that changed everything. 

“My thoughts immediately started racing,” Jacki recalled. “Will I see my children grow up? Would I be there to attend their high school graduations and weddings, or hold my grandbabies? I was terrified.”  

At that time, most of what Jacki heard about breast cancer were the “horror stories” about being sick, scarring and pain from treatment. Jacki’s breast cancer was caught early, a fact she credits with saving her life.   

“The lump was deep,” she said. “I never would have found it on my own.” 

Jacki underwent a mastectomy and chemotherapy. In August, she celebrated her 29th year of survivorship. 

 

A New Perspective  

Jacki P. celebrating 29 years of breast cancer survivorship.

Surviving breast cancer changed how Jacki viewed life. She became more mindful of her health, more grounded in gratitude for her family and more committed to paying it forward. She said she listens more, helps where she can and still treasures every day. 

“Cancer becomes part of your soul. It never really leaves you,” Jacki said. “Even now, it brings tears to my eyes. There’s always that question in the back of my mind: ‘Will it come back?’”  

Rather than living in fear, Jacki has chosen to keep moving forward with purpose. 

20 Years of the Komen 3-Day 

Jacki first participated in the Komen 3-Day in Arizona in 2005 and later joined Team Las Bombas. In 2021, the team reached the Million Dollar Team milestone. In 2025, Jacki spoke at the Denver 3-Day and achieved her personal lifetime  goal of $50,000. But, she’s not done yet. 

“I’ve walked for 20 years, crewed four times and have met the most incredible people,” she said with a smile. “Although I am 78, I am still in very good condition.” 

Jacki P. at the Susan G. Komen San Diego 3-Day.

This year, Jacki plans to walk the San Diego 3-Day and crew in Tampa Bay. The support and connection within the 3-Day community are what keep Jacki coming back year after year. 

“There’s still work to do. That’s why I keep walking and crewing,” Jacki said. “That’s why we all keep doing the 3-Day. Until breast cancer is behind us, we’ll keep showing up.” 

Walking 60 Miles for the Mom They Lost Too Soon

Brooke and Kelly will walk 60 miles in November at the San Diego 3-Day to honor their mom who died from triple negative breast cancer.

This fall, sisters Brooke M. and Kelly T. will walk 60 miles at the Susan G. Komen 3-Day® in San Diego to honor their mom, Margie, who died from breast cancer nearly 20 years ago. She was just 51. 

“On the very day we cross the 3-Day finish line, it will mark the 20 year anniversary of the day we lost our mom to triple negative breast cancer. But it still feels like yesterday,” Brooke said. 

The Diagnosis 

Margie and her children before she died from breast cancer.

In 2004, Margie, a loving mom of three in their 20s, was recently separated after being married for 27 years when she got the devastating news. 

“She sat us down and said, ‘I’m seeing a doctor,’ and I got excited. I thought that meant she was dating,” Brooke remembers with a bittersweet smile. “But she meant she was seeing a doctor for cancer, and it hit us hard.” 

Her diagnosis came shortly after a mammogram. 

“She had a mammogram, and a month later, on her own self-check, she found the lump,” Brooke said. “That’s why it’s so important to do self-checks, too. Mammograms are great, but you know they don’t catch everything.” Margie before her death from breast cancer

Margie first underwent a lumpectomy, then a mastectomy, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Through it she remained hopeful and positive. 

“We honestly believed in her positivity and thought she was going to beat it,” Brooke said.  

“They told us she was in remission for about one month. Soon after the cancer metastasized to her liver,” Kelly added. 

But through it all, Margie was able to be there for some of her children’s most memorable milestones. 

“She was there for my sister’s wedding. She barely made it to my brother’s wedding, and then she passed away six months before mine,” Brooke said. “It was really hard because those are the moments you want your mom beside you.” 

Strength That Carried On 

Margie ran her own business and worked alongside two of her kids while undergoing treatment. She showed up for her clients, and for others impacted by breast cancer, until the day she had to be hospitalized.  

“The treatments were hard for her, but she didn’t want to show us how hard it was,” Kelly recalled. “She stayed strong for us.” 

Margie and her daughters even walked a Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure®, a memory that inspires Brooke and Kelly today as they prepare for the San Diego 3-Day. 

Margie’s Marchers 

Margie at a Race for the Cure event before her death.

Brooke and Kelly are walking the 3-Day in November as Margie’s Marchers—a team named in honor of their mom, whom they remember as strong, joyful and endlessly giving. As they train for their first 3-Day walk, the sisters carry a mix of excitement, nerves and deep love for their mom who is alive in their hearts, traditions and memories.  

“We know she would’ve wanted to be part of this,” Kelly said. “We can’t wait to celebrate her the whole way and be with our families at the finish line.”  

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Statements and opinions expressed are that 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.