Health
Published
Oct. 17, 2023, 5:42 p.m. ET
A Florida man diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer at the age of 38 admitted he had no clue men could develop the disease.
Zac Yarbrough, now 42, told Insider he first noticed a lump on his chest back in 2018, while playing in a pool with his two toddler daughters.
“I noticed a knot beneath my left nipple,” he stated. “It was odd, but I tried not to give it a second thought.”
Yarbrough, who competes in fishing competitions across the country, told the publication the lump eventually “grew and grew until it was almost the size of a golf ball.”
“I looked like I had a boob,” the Jacksonville resident bluntly admitted, saying he finally plucked up the courage to talk to a doctor about the mysterious growth.
Tests revealed that Yarbrough had breast cancer so advanced, the life-threatening menace had spread to his lymph nodes and one of his lungs.
“I was diagnosed with Stage 4, or metastatic, breast cancer,” he told the outlet. “There’s no known cure.”
Yarbrough underwent a mastectomy, saying the surgery was a “no brainer.”zacyarbroughoutdoors/Instagram
“My nipple, areola, muscle and lymph nodes around the breast was removed,” he said of the procedure.zacyarbroughoutdoors/Instagram
Yarbrough immediately underwent a mastectomy, saying the surgery was a “no brainer.”
“My nipple, areola, muscle and lymph nodes around the breast was removed,” he said of the procedure, which has left him with scarring across the left side of his chest.
After the operation, Yarbrough was required to undergo 12 rounds of chemotherapy and more than 36 radiation treatments, as well as a range of clinical trials and experimental treatments.
Almost half a decade on, Yarbrough is still in treatment — but he hasn’t lost his fighting spirit.
“I’m on a medication regimen and get chemotherapy once every three weeks,” the dad stated. “[But] I just got a scan that showed the best results I’d had in years.”
“My nipple, areola, muscle and lymph nodes around the breast was removed,” he said of the procedure.zacyarbroughoutdoors/Instagram
After the operation, Yarbrough was required to undergo 12 rounds of chemotherapy and more than 36 radiation treatments, as well as a range of clinical trials and experimental treatments.zacyarbroughoutdoors/Instagram
“Mentally, I’m determined to keep living life as I always have,” he further enthused. “There’s just too much life to live. “
The dad doesn’t believe the diagnosis is a death sentence, saying he’s “hopeful” a cure is on the horizon.
Yarbrough told Insider he didn’t realize men could get the cancer, and previously told the Florida Times-Union that he has gone public with his health battle in order to raise awareness about the disease.
“I’m a big, burly, beard-growing, fisherman, hunter, former All-ACC college football player and swim with swordfish, the baddest fish in the sea,” he stated. “If I can get breast cancer being this type of guy, then any man can get it and it doesn’t matter how tough or burly you are.”
Yarbrough told Insider he didn’t realize men could get the cancer, and previously told the Florida Times-Union that he has gone public with his health battle in order to raise awareness about the disease. zacyarbroughoutdoors/Instagram
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, men account for about 1% of breast cancer cases in the US.
However, given that they are not subject to the same routine screenings as women, they are more likely to be diagnosed later, the National Library of Medicine reports.
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