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From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.<\/p>\n
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Your support makes all the difference.<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nRead more<\/span><\/svg><\/span><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nA chef who was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer after discovering a lump is urging all men to \u201ccheck their chests\u201d.<\/p>\n
Mat Kelly, 42, first discovered a lump in his chest last October while working in America, helping to launch a new restaurant in Chicago.<\/p>\n
After visiting his GP, he was referred for further testing, where he said he had to push for \u201cprogress and answers\u201d, and he was diagnosed with breast cancer just two days before Christmas.<\/p>\n
Then came the \u201cgut punch\u201d in January, when he was told, following a PET scan, that the cancer had spread to his lymph nodes and into his bones, predominantly his spine.<\/p>\n
He started chemotherapy, but this was unsuccessful, and two more PET scans revealed the cancer had spread further and his tumours had grown, and he therefore reassessed his treatment options.<\/p>\n
Although his cancer is incurable, Mat has since started having Enhertu, which combines a targeted therapy drug and a chemotherapy drug, and this is helping him \u201ckeep the cancer at bay while living life to the fullest\u201d.<\/p>\n
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open image in gallery<\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>Mat in hospital ready to receive chemotherapy (Collect\/PA Real Life)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\nMat, who lives in New Cross, London, with his fianc\u00e9e Rachel, said: \u201cI\u2019m currently in a state of cancer limbo, where I have no metabolic sign of cancer, but the only thing keeping it at bay is the treatment.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m on chemo for the rest of my life every three weeks, but currently, I have no form of cancer within me, so I\u2019ve had an amazing response to it.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey say some people who have my level of response have the ability to live for years and years, so hopefully there is hope out there.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added: \u201cI\u2019d just say to men, check your chests and check yourself and, if something\u2019s not right, go to the doctor.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor me, it\u2019s just super important that people actually follow through with it and don\u2019t put things off because it can be the difference between life and death.\u201d<\/p>\n
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open image in gallery<\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>Mat with his friend Ben, after walking the coast from Margate to Whitstable (Collect\/PA Real Life)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\nPrior to his diagnosis, Mat said he was a \u201cworkaholic\u201d but was otherwise healthy.<\/p>\n
He knew that men could get breast cancer, but he understood it predominantly affected older men.<\/p>\n
According to NHS Inform, the cause of male breast cancer is unclear, but most cases affect men over the age of 60.<\/p>\n
While working in America in October last year, Mat discovered a lump in his right breast tissue, but he initially \u201cdidn\u2019t think much of it\u201d until he noticed another symptom.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cWhen I came back to England at the end of October, I noticed my nipple started to invert and I thought, that isn\u2019t normal, and I booked a doctor\u2019s appointment.\u201d<\/p>\n
After seeing his GP, Mat said he was referred to Lewisham Hospital, and then Guy\u2019s Hospital, and he had an ultrasound and a biopsy.<\/p>\n
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open image in gallery<\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>Mat is receiving an injection of Denosumab to help strengthen his bones and prevent fractures from secondary bone cancer (Collect\/PA Real Life)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\nHe was then informed he had breast cancer on December 23 \u2013 around seven weeks after first discovering the lump \u2013 and he felt \u201cnumb\u201d.<\/p>\n
With Christmas and New Year looming, Mat said appointments were scarce, but he was told he needed to have a PET scan, which took place in January.<\/p>\n
He said the results revealed the cancer was at stage 4 and it had spread, adding: \u201cIt showed that I had two lumps in my chest, a lump in my armpit and four lesions on my spine.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mat chose to have \u201caggressive\u201d chemotherapy, specifically full-strength Docetaxel and Phesgo, and he underwent six rounds of this.<\/p>\n
However, at the three-month mark, Mat learned the treatment had not been \u201ceffective at all\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cI ended up with more lesions on my spine and it had spread to my pelvis and my ribs,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\nMain symptoms of breast cancer in men<\/h2>\nNHS<\/h3>\nSymptoms of breast cancer in men may include:<\/p>\n
\na lump or swelling in your chest or armpit <\/li>\n liquid leaking from your nipples (nipple discharge), which may have blood in it <\/li>\n changes in the size or shape of either side of your chest <\/li>\n sores or ulcers on your chest <\/li>\n a change in the shape or look of your nipple, such as it turning inwards (inverted nipple) or a rash on it (may look like eczema) <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nMat was advised to finish the six rounds, but after this, he learned he had cancer in 21 areas of his spine, as well as in his pelvis, rib cage and the centre of his ribs.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think having bad news after bad news after bad news, it was horrifically frustrating,\u201d Mat said.<\/p>\n
\u201cPlus, all the side effects and all the feeling ill were from the treatment\u2026 so there were points where I thought, why am I doing this? Why am I physically making myself feel more ill while it\u2019s getting worse?\u201d<\/p>\n
Mat said his second and third PET scans brought \u201cmore bad news\u201d, with more metastases and larger tumours, and he was introduced to palliative care, which felt \u201csurreal\u201d.<\/p>\n
He dived into research and pushed for targeted therapies, which led him to Enhertu, and he said his perspective on life changed.<\/p>\n
He eventually had to give up work, but he and Rachel started a bucket list, ticking off restaurants, cities and countries around the world.<\/p>\n
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open image in gallery<\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>Taking advantage of the good days, Mat ventured on a last-minute trip to Genova with Rachel (Collect\/PA Real Life)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\u201cI asked for an SR1 form, which is a terminal illness form that says I\u2019ve got a year left to live,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe form meant I could gain access to my ISAs and pension without being penalised for it.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just thought, well, if I\u2019m potentially going to die, I want to have fun while I\u2019m well enough to have fun.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo we started doing a bit of travelling, and I\u2019ve since been to some of the best restaurants in the world, such as El Celler de Can Roca in Girona, which was incredible, and the amazing Row on 5 on Savile Row.\u201d<\/p>\n
Although he said he experiences \u201cbrutal\u201d side effects from Enhertu, such as severe constipation and diarrhoea, burning neuropathy over his body, bleeding and ulceration of his nostrils and mouth, he said \u201cthings have started to turn around\u201d.<\/p>\n
He said the tumours in his chest decreased by 30 per cent to 40 per cent after three treatments of Enhertu and he had \u201cno more metastases on (his) spine\u201d, and he learned he had \u201cno metabolic sign of cancer\u201d in his body after six treatments.<\/p>\n
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open image in gallery<\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>Mat just after a three-monthly heart MRI scan (Collect\/PA Real Life)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\nMat will continue receiving treatment but is now planning some other trips with Rachel, whom he will marry in February next year, and he said he has more of an \u201cappreciation for the small things\u201d in life.<\/p>\n
He said his family and friends have been hugely supportive, as well as the Men\u2019s VMU \u2013 a male-dedicated support group for men diagnosed with breast cancer \u2013 which recently celebrated its fifth anniversary.<\/p>\n
He would urge other men to check their bodies, advocate for themselves and try to stay positive, and he hopes more treatments become available to treat breast cancer in the near future.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe word \u2018breast\u2019 is always seen as a female word, but men have breast tissue,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s about making people understand that men get breast cancer and demystifying it for people.\u201d<\/p>\n
Speaking of the Men\u2019s VMU, Mat added: \u201cIt makes such a difference having people there who have been and gone through, or are going through, what you are, and learning from their experiences.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt makes the world feel a little less lonely.\u201d<\/p>\n
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open image in gallery<\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>Members of the Men\u2019s VMU holding cards to show what age they were when they were first diagnosed with breast cancer (PA Real Life)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\nRoss McLean, consultant oncoplastic breast surgeon at Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust, said: \u201cWhile breast cancer in men is rare, they are at a 65 per cent higher risk of having distant disease at presentation compared to women \u2013 11.5 per cent versus 6.9 per cent.<\/p>\n
\u201cUnfortunately, the late diagnosis is often due to a lack of awareness and delayed presentation.<\/p>\n
\u201cMathew\u2019s story is a powerful and timely reminder of this reality.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is therefore incredibly heartening to see that, despite his advanced diagnosis, Mathew has taken such a proactive approach \u2013 researching his condition and most importantly connecting with the Men\u2019s VMU.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Men\u2019s VMU\u2019s peer support is invaluable, providing a crucial lifeline both emotionally and mentally. His positive attitude in the face of such aggressive treatment is truly inspirational.\u201d<\/p>\n
To find out more about the Men\u2019s VMU, visit: www.themensvmu.org.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Your support helps us to tell the story From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story. The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it. Your support makes all the difference. Read more A chef who was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer after discovering a lump is urging all men to \u201ccheck their chests\u201d. Mat Kelly, 42, first discovered a lump in his chest last October while working in America, helping to launch a new restaurant in Chicago. After visiting his GP, he was referred for further testing, where he said he had to push for \u201cprogress and answers\u201d, and he was diagnosed with breast cancer just two days before Christmas. Then came the \u201cgut punch\u201d in January, when he was told, following a PET scan, that the cancer had spread to his lymph nodes and into his bones, predominantly his spine. He started chemotherapy, but this was unsuccessful, and two more PET scans revealed the cancer had spread further and his tumours had grown, and he therefore reassessed his treatment options. Although his cancer is incurable, Mat has since started having Enhertu, which combines a targeted therapy drug and a chemotherapy drug, and this is helping him \u201ckeep the cancer at bay while living life to the f…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7840,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7839"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7839"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7839\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/7840"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7839"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7839"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7839"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}