While breast cancer is often thought of as a woman’s disease, the reality is that men can also develop breast cancer. In 2025, an estimated 2,800 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer, and 510 will die from the disease. While male breast cancer is rare, men carry a higher mortality rate than women because the disease is often found in later stages when it is harder to treat.
Jonathan, a husband, father, and DJ in North Carolina, never imagined he’d be diagnosed with breast cancer. But his journey began on a day that was supposed to be filled with celebration—his youngest child’s sixth birthday. Instead, it was the day he received a shocking phone call: Jonathan had breast cancer.
Before his diagnosis, Jonathan noticed an itching sensation on his left chest, which he assumed was a mosquito bite. The itching led Jonathan to notice a lump in his breast. He initially dismissed the lump, believing it would go away on its own.
But a week later, Jonathan began experiencing persistent chest pains that worsened one night as he tried to sleep. Jonathan recalls, “I began to move all over the bed, hoping it was gas and I could stretch it out. That didn’t help, so I began to fear it was a heart attack and drove myself to the hospital.”
At the hospital, doctors ran multiple tests, including an EKG, but everything came back negative. Assuming it was indigestion, he was sent home with a prescription. But Jonathan couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right. “I got in the shower to remove the EKG leads. In that moment, God spoke to me and said, ‘Check the lump you found.’ Me, being the smart aleck that I am, looked up at the ceiling and said, ‘Really, God?!’ But being obedient, I checked—and it was still there.”
That moment changed everything. Now questioning whether the lump was causing his chest pains, Jonathan told his wife, who insisted he call his primary care doctor immediately.
Jonathan’s doctor recognized the lump as a possible symptom of breast cancer and was concerned. After multiple mammograms and an ultrasound, the results came in. In April 2023, Jonathan received a phone call telling him he had breast cancer. His first reaction was fear. “I immediately thought it was a death sentence because I’ve lost some very close people to cancer,” Jonathan shares.
Initially, doctors weren’t sure of the full extent of the cancer’s spread. They informed Jonathan that the final diagnosis wouldn’t be known until after surgery, during which they would remove the cancerous mass from his left chest and examine lymph nodes from his armpit. Jonathan shares: “After a double mastectomy and removal of some lymph nodes, the final diagnosis was Stage 2 HER2-negative breast cancer.”
A second surgery to remove more affected lymph nodes soon followed, leaving Jonathan with lymphedema, a common side effect of breast cancer surgery that causes swelling of the body due to abnormal fluid collection. When notified of the risk of lymphedema, Jonathan responded, “I would rather live with lymphedema than risk still having cancer.”
Once the second surgery confirmed he was cancer-free, Jonathan began radiation treatments. Despite experiencing severe radiation burns from the treatment, Jonathan pressed on, determined to complete his treatment. Today, Jonathan is on a 10-year course of hormonal therapy to decrease his risk for breast cancer recurrence.
Learn more about the risk factors, signs and symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of male breast cancer in the free eBook, Male Breast Cancer: What Men Need to Know.
Jonathan’s journey has encouraged him to spread awareness of breast cancer, especially among men. His message is clear: Men need to take their health seriously and act when they notice something that doesn’t seem right.
Jonathan advises, “As boys, we go outside to play. When we fall and scrape our knees, we get up, dust ourselves off, and continue playing. That has trained us to be the same way about our health, pains, and things that show up in or on our bodies. We have to deprogram ourselves from that mindset.”
By sharing his story, Jonathan hopes to save lives by promoting early detection, encouraging those on their own cancer journeys, and bringing people closer to God. His story is a powerful reminder that breast cancer does not discriminate and that awareness and prompt action can make all the difference.
National Breast Cancer Foundation is here for you as you navigate a breast cancer diagnosis. Visit our website to learn about NBCF breast cancer support groups, obtain free educational resources, or find a patient navigator in your area.
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