KANSAS CITY, Mo. — This Breast Cancer Awareness Month, one Topeka survivor is sharing his key to survival — self advocacy.
It’s something he knew was necessary when he felt a lump in his chest back in 2019.
Despite having no family history of breast cancer, Jeremy Bailey suspected that’s what the lump might be. So, he brought it up to his doctor.
“[I] told the doctor in the hospital about this lump, wasn't interested in it,” Bailey, a breast cancer survivor, said. “[They] sent me to my primary care provider, told me to get it check out by him.”
He didn’t have much luck there either.
“I told him, he hold me I was too young to get cancer, let alone breast cancer,” Bailey said.
At the time, he was only 35 years old. But Bailey didn’t stop there. He eventually took his issue several places until he was finally given a mammogram, which showed just what he suspected: cancer.
“People don’t think about male breast cancer at all, to be honest with you,” said Dr. Jamie Wagner, the division chief for Breast Surgical Oncology at the University of Kansas Cancer Center.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, 1 percent of men diagnosed in the United States get breast cancer.
Bailey just so happened to be a part of that 1 percent.
“It's understandable why we don't put a lot of attention or thought to it, but we should,” Wagner said.
The same day Bailey was told he was “too young” to get breast cancer, his primary care provider ordered a mammogram, which came back benign.
From there, Bailey decided he wanted a biopsy done. A week later, he had the biopsy done, and a week after that, he was officially diagnosed with stage 1 grade 3 breast cancer.
This all took place years before Bailey even met Wagner. His first time around, Bailey had a double mastectomy and was doing routine follow-up appointments after the fact.
Then, days after a follow-up visit in June 2022, he was re-diagnosed with breast cancer.
That’s when he was referred to the KU Cancer Center, where he had another double mastectomy in September 2022.
“That gave me comfort,” Bailey said. “I knew I was in good hands down here in Kansas City.”
He said the biggest comfort was finally feeling heard, and not just when he rang the cancer-free bell at the hospital.
“What Jeremy really brings to light is self advocacy,” Wagner said. “Knowing your body, knowing what’s normal, and when it’s not normal, keep seeking help until you finally get things checked out.”
He says at times, he felt like he was doing too much. Still, something inside wouldn’t let him take "no" for an answer.
“I thought I was beating a dead horse with a stick,” Bailey said. “I didn’t think I was getting nowhere.”
Now, Bailey wants other men to know there’s nothing to be embarrassed about. His journey has given him a new goal in life.
“Getting more and more men aware that breast cancer happens not just to women, but to men as well,” Bailey said.
Wagner said most people will not advocate for themselves the way Bailey did. But she says at the very least, working a mammogram screening into your annual checkup is a great way to normalize good breast health by making it a routine.
“Everything comes down to early identification,” Wagner said. “The earlier we identify and diagnose patients, the better their outcomes.”
Wagner said routines are important because you never know how aggressive the cancer is or when it could strike.
"The more routine we are in our lives, then we stick with things," she said. "Make it something special, not a task because it should be something special. You’re doing it for yourself."
She also mentioned how age discrimination is being addressed when it comes to both men and women.
In May 2023, the U.S. Preventative Services task force changed its recommendations for women to start getting screenings every other year starting at age 40 instead of age 50. Still, Wagner thinks a more frequent yearly routine could be a life saver.
“Skipping a year can make a difference of early breast cancer diagnosis versus late stage,” she said.
Bailey knows firsthand how precious each year can be. After years of looking out for himself, he can finally look ahead. That includes living life alongside his fiancée, Susan, and his four children.
“We’re looking forward to getting married and buying a house. And of course, the kids, raising the kids,” he said.
He’s living life to the fullest by keeping one thing in mind.
“Every day is not promised,” Bailey said.
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