Patient Voices: Ken Gomez

Overview

Like many men, Ken Gomez didn’t think he could develop breast cancer. Although male breast cancer is rare, an estimated 2,670 U.S. men will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in 2026.

But Ken’s thoughts had changed in June 2015. While vacationing in Vancouver, Ken’s wife noticed his inverted nipple. Upon returning from vacation, Ken didn’t schedule an appointment with a doctor right away and decided to wait until his scheduled physical exam in November.

“Once I showed the doctor my nipple, she scheduled the mammogram right off the bat,” Ken said.

The diagnosis  

Ken’s doctor found a tumor on the right side and diagnosed it as stage 2B hormone receptor-negative breast cancer, a moderately advanced form of the disease that had spread to nearby lymph nodes. At this stage, the tumor measured between two and five centimeters.

With no family history of breast cancer — and only one case of prostate cancer — Ken was stunned by the diagnosis.

He knew the road ahead would be long, but he was determined to move forward with treatment. While he had several options, receiving treatment close to home was essential. Ultimately, Ken chose to continue his care at Texas Oncology–Amarillo, one of more than 250 locations statewide.

“My regular doctor told me to go to Texas Oncology Surgical Specialists-Amarillo,” said Ken. “I called the other cancer hospitals, and they said they would do the same treatment as Texas Oncology. So, I figured I might as well just stay in my own bed every night.”

Ken’s treatment plan

Ken was offered two treatment options: 16 rounds of higher-intensity chemotherapy followed by surgery and radiation, or eight rounds of chemotherapy and surgery. He chose the more aggressive option, undergoing 16 rounds of chemotherapy, lymph node removal, and a double mastectomy, a surgery to remove both breasts.

Overall, “the care was really good. I can’t complain about what they did,” shared Ken. “I responded really well to the chemo, shrunk the tumor down to almost nothing.”

One of the challenges of longer-term chemotherapy is peripheral neuropathy, which causes nerve damage in the hands and feet. Extensive treatment can lead to symptoms such as burning, tingling, numbness, and pain.

After chemotherapy, Ken underwent radiation and experienced side effects such as fatigue more intensely. Because his lymph nodes had not yet been removed, he said the radiation was especially difficult, as high-energy rays can damage lymphatic vessels and cause inflammation, scarring, and impaired fluid drainage. 

Managing those side effects is a key part of cancer care at Texas Oncology, which focuses on helping patients maintain their quality of life during treatment.

Breaking the stigma

Ken faced additional challenging, including overcoming the stigma surrounding male breast cancer. While waiting for chemotherapy, he recalled a conversation with other patients in a shared waiting room.

“This younger girl was there, and she was being treated for breast cancer,” said Ken. When he mentioned that he was also receiving treatment for breast cancer, the girl’s mother didn’t believe him. “I wish I was joking, but that’s what I have,” Ken said. Then the daughter spoke up and said, “Hey, Mom, guys can get it, too.”

“People don’t think guys have the same tissue that women have,” said Ken. Often, when people hear breast cancer, they often associate the disease with women. However, men also have breast tissue. Although men have less breast tissue, they can still develop breast cancer and are typically diagnosed and treated using the same approaches as women.

Ken added, “I think the biggest thing that guys have an issue with is being able to say I have breast cancer. There are guys out there that won’t call it that. They’ll call it chest cancer, because guys don’t want to think they have breasts.”

From stigma to advocacy

Informed by his own experiences, Ken began attending health fairs — specifically those targeted toward male-oriented businesses — to share his story in hopes of raising awareness about male breast cancer.

While some men poke fun, it doesn’t bother Ken. “I talk about it in front of a whole gymnasium full of people. I just want people to know,” he said.

After ten years of chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation, Ken still gets checked for markers. Through it all, he has one key piece of advice:

“Just go check yourself — the earlier, the better. What happens to most guys is they put it off, and when they finally go, they’re stage 4,” Ken explained. “The men I’ve talked to were just like me. They heard about it but never imagined in 100 years that they’d get it.”

The information included in this testimonial is based on one patient’s unique experience and is not intended to represent all patient outcomes or expectations.