Tag Archive for: breast cancer advocate

Men Get Breast Cancer Too: The Forgotten Face of Breast Cancer Awareness Month

There is a popular misconception that breast cancer is a disease that only affects women, but it can affect anyone, no matter what their gender. Rod Ritchie, a male breast cancer survivor and advocate, is working to dispel this misconception, advocating for men with breast cancer to receive the recognition and support they deserve. In this interview, Rod discusses the stigma surrounding male breast cancer, critiques the pink-washing of breast cancer awareness and the exclusion of men from these campaigns, and shares his vision for a more inclusive approach to education and support in the future.

Rod, you’ve spoken about how the ‘Pinktober’ campaign can feel exclusionary to men with breast cancer, and how this can impact awareness, support, and even diagnosis for men. Can you elaborate on these impacts and suggest ways to create a more inclusive campaign?

The pink issue for men starts with many of them being unaware they are even susceptible to the disease. A subsequent later diagnosis can lead to a poorer prognosis. The pink charities need to double down on their efforts to explain and publicize the genderless nature of the disease.

You’ve mentioned that receiving a breast cancer diagnosis was especially challenging as a man. Can you tell us more about that?

My first emotion was the reminder that my mum died from breast cancer when I and my three brothers were young. That said, I quickly sought treatment and was pleased that the pink dollars had funded much research which obviously benefited all genders presenting for treatment.

You and Rob Fincher created the “Male Breast Cancer Manifesto”, which aims to raise awareness and improve outcomes for men diagnosed with breast cancer. Can you highlight some of its key action points,

The Manifesto is now seven years old and I’m really pleased to see how much progress has been made in achieving its goals. These include a reduction of sexual stereotyping, a day set aside in October for men, more inclusive imagery, and better information. Remaining on the list are, more research on men and the disease, and advocacy for screening programs for men with a genetic propensity and/or a family history of breast cancer. Unfortunately, Rob is not around to see if these last two points are achieved.

For someone who wants to raise the issue of male breast cancer but feels hesitant, what advice would you give them to confidently and constructively engage with a charity?

Breast cancer charities are generally keen to get feedback, so I’d say make a list of changes you’d like them to consider and send them to the director. And, if at first you don’t succeed, hang in there. All real change takes time.

Sharing personal stories is a powerful advocacy tool. What was the most impactful or surprising response you received after sharing your story publicly?

I was surprised by how readily and enthusiastically my story was received by the breast cancer community, how widely it was shared, and how much media attention I received. I must say this has kept me optimistic about change and is the reason I’m still on the case 10 years later.

Looking ahead, what are the most critical areas where you believe we need to focus our efforts to improve the support and outcomes for men with breast cancer?

More research on breast cancer in men and other genders would help refine treatments and improve their effectiveness. Additionally, providing better access to screening for everyone at risk is crucial for early detection and successful outcomes.


About Rod Ritchie

Rod is a Sydney-born writer, internet publisher, and breast cancer patient activist, diagnosed in March 2014, with Stage IIIB IBC. Two years later, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Currently he’s NED for both cancers. He has a website MaleBC.org and you can follow him on X @malefitness.

Male Breast Cancer Manifesto

https://malebc.org/?page_id=875

Thriving Not Just Surviving: A Breast Cancer Expert’s Perspective

Thriving Not Just Surviving: A Breast Cancer Expert’s Perspective from Patient Empowerment Network on Vimeo.

How can breast cancer patients not just survive but thrive? Expert Dr. Bhuvaneswari Ramaswamy shares actionable patient advice to strive toward optimal health while living with breast cancer.

Dr. Bhuvaneswari Ramaswamy is the Section Chief of Breast Medical Oncology and the Director of the Medical Oncology Fellowship Program in Breast Cancer at The Ohio State College of Medicine. Learn more about this expert here.

See More from Thrive Breast Cancer

Related Resources:

What Are the Treatment Options for Early Stage Breast Cancer?

How Is Metastatic Breast Cancer Treated?

Why Should Breast Cancer Patients Engage in Care Decisions?


Transcript:

Katherine:                     

We start all of our Thrive Series with the same question. In your experience, what does it mean to thrive with breast cancer?

Dr. Ramaswamy:          

That’s a great question. I think it’s an important one because we always talk about surviving breast cancer, and that’s obviously the most important thing. We all want to survive, but we all also want more than that. We don’t want to just live, we want quality of life.  

And I think one thing that to remember is as soon as the breast cancer diagnosis is done, it’s in part – it’s difficult to say that you can thrive immediately. So, your focus is on really getting through the treatments and making sure it’s all done. So, at that time, managing the toxicities and getting through the stresses of going through the treatments and surgery, radiation, et cetera takes  over everything else. But as you finish that off you, you want to focus on what are the ways you can try to get back to the life that you had prior to breast cancer.

Now it’s difficult and it’s almost impossible to forget the big C word in your life. So, that’s going to hang and that’s going to kind of make anything you look at your perspective as slightly different. I mean, every pain could be worrisome because could it be a reference? Has the cancer spread? Or every bad news about another person could you, could transport that about yourself and then kind of worry about what could happen to you.

Every visit to the doctor, and particularly your oncologist, is going to   bring back memories. So, there are certain things that you can’t take away, but time can heal those. But what we talk about thriving is that you looking at factors that is going to make you and your body healthy. That is going to be exercise, being engaged in  whether your work or your family work and being joyful and seek what brings you joy, whether it’s friends, your work or your family.

And make sure you make time for that. And also eating right and diet is an important aspect of that. Not doing inflammatory diets such as highly fatty diets or meat-containing diet, but really kind of looking at your diet and your weight and your exercise. And trying to also discuss with your team about what are the symptoms you are having and how we can support you to mitigate those   symptoms. And really having conversations and somebody you can confide with to both manage your physical aspects as well as the emotional aspects.

And really kind of thriving and becoming   an advocate for yourself as well as for others who have breast cancer is what I would say is truly thriving with breast – with the diagnosis of breast cancer.