HER2-Positive Breast Cancer: Jim's Patient Story

What happened, in summary

Jim Keegan learned he could have breast cancer only after his wife felt a suspicious lump on his chest in May 2013. Their family doctor ordered a mammogram, which was inconclusive, so Jim had a biopsy the same day. The result was early-stage breast cancer. He had no family history and knew little about male breast cancer, but he and his wife Pat acted quickly. After meeting a surgeon near home in New Jersey, they went to MSK for a second opinion. MSK surgeon George Plitas agreed surgery was the right first step, and Jim chose to have the operation locally. His left breast and some lymph nodes were removed. His local oncologist recommended chemotherapy, but Jim returned to MSK because male breast cancer is rare and he wanted specialized guidance. Breast cancer specialist Tiffany Traina found that Jim’s case was unusual: genetic testing was negative for BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations, but the tumor was HER2-positive. She recommended chemotherapy that included 1 year of trastuzumab (Herceptin), with careful heart monitoring because of age-related risks. Jim later continued tamoxifen and returned to MSK for yearly checkups and surveillance. Treatment also pushed him to lose 75 pounds, exercise and become an advocate for male breast cancer awareness.