What happened, in summary

Brian Chrobak was 35 when he noticed a small lump behind his left nipple after a shower in January 2021. The lump changed size and began throbbing. After encouragement from his girlfriend, he returned for assessment, and testing and biopsy confirmed male breast cancer. The diagnosis felt surreal because breast cancer had not seemed like a possibility to him.

Brian's cancer was hormone receptor-positive and had reached lymph nodes under his arm, but testing found no evidence of spread beyond the breast and axillary area. His Cleveland Clinic team treated him with curative intent. He received neoadjuvant chemotherapy every Friday for 4 months. Although he lost his hair, he generally tolerated treatment well and continued working.

Chemotherapy only minimally reduced the tumor. On September 24, 2021, Brian underwent a lumpectomy, and surgeons removed more than 20 cancerous lymph nodes. His next planned treatment was daily radiation followed by oral hormone therapy, including tamoxifen, which could continue for as long as 10 years.

Brian was recovering well from surgery and preparing for the next phase of care. He hoped to return to work, golf and basketball. He urged people not to ignore changes in their bodies, emphasizing that men as well as women should seek prompt medical attention for an unusual breast lump.