Breast cancer affects men too – be aware

October is commemorated throughout the world as breast cancer awareness month, and despite the first awareness campaign taking place 35 years ago, there is still so much people need to know.

One of the lesser-known facts is that breast cancer is not specific to women – men are at risk too. Breast cancer in men is significantly rarer than in women, but that does not make it any less serious.

Ronnie Coetzee was unaware that he was at risk until it was too late. The 59-year-old father and husband knew that the serious disease ran in his family because his mother, unfortunately, lost her battle with breast cancer, and his sister is currently in remission, yet he never thought it would affect him. When he first noticed an abnormality in the tissue under his arm, he did not think anything of it, and subsequently ignored it for nearly a year and a half. It was only when he and his wife were in bed and he started to feel discomfort when she touched his arm that he thought something could be wrong.

He turned to Google to find out what might be causing the discomfort and in a rare turn of events, the search engine was correct in its diagnosis. Ronnie went for tests and a sonar on 5 June 2020 and received his diagnosis on the same day. Four days later, the middle-aged man was admitted to Netcare Krugersdorp Private Hospital for a modified radical mastectomy, which is the removal of the breast, many lymph nodes under the arm, the lining over the chest muscles, and sometimes part of the chest wall muscles.

A long scar now runs from the middle of Ronnie’s chest and down under his right arm, serving as a battle wound from a war he never knew he would be a part of. Once an adrenaline junkie who enjoyed extreme sports such as rafting, Ronnie now needs help doing simple tasks around the house, not only due to the side effects of the chemotherapy, but also because of how weak his dominant arm now is due to the surgery.

Since his diagnosis, Ronnie has been through four sessions of an intense chemotherapy treatment known as Red Devil, each of them affecting him a little more. At this stage, he does not know if the tumour has gotten any smaller since his treatments began, and will only find out when he goes for his next full body scan after another four treatments of a less harsh chemotherapy.

Despite the negative side effects on his physical health, Ronnie tries to keep a level head and positive attitude. He finds comfort and motivation in the support of his wife of ten years, three sons, two stepsons, and 12 grandchildren. Even though he cannot go fishing with his family like he used to, Ronnie spends as much time with them as physically possible, calling them his rocks and his saving grace.

“My advice to all men is to check themselves often and if they notice anything different, they must act immediately. Don’t wait as long as I did and let the cancer get as far as I did,” said a very emotional Ronnie. He also reiterated the importance of having a solid support system to keep you positive and motivated enough to do as much as you can of what you love. “For anyone going through cancer and chemotherapy, I recommend testimonies of survivors to prepare yourself, but also remembering that you may not experience the same things. Everyone’s body reacts to the treatment differently.”

Before his diagnosis, Ronnie was extremely active and is reluctant to change that, so despite how tired he may be, he goes to work with his wife from Tuesday through to Sunday. He serves his ‘boerekos’ from his food trailer called The Best in the West Fast Foods at the Hillfox Value Centre with a smile on his face. Running his small business and spending all day with his wife keep him going, and if he gets too tired, he pulls out his lawn chair for a little power nap before getting back to making the food he is so passionate about.