A retired university professor was shocked to learn he had breast cancer – and was only diagnosed after being hit in the nipple during a pickleball game.
Ronald Norman, 76, wrote an op-ed in the San Diego Union-Tribune about his discovery that he was among about one in a thousand men who contracted the disease.
The former teacher, who taught at San Diego State University and Grossmont College before settling in Del Sur, California, was playing pickleball in June 2022 when his opponent hit him in the right chest with a ball.
Norman “doubled up” when the hit knocked the wind out of his sleeves, describing the impact as “probably the hardest I’ve hit in over a dozen years in pickleball.” However, he was able to continue playing.
A few weeks later, the 76-year-old noticed a black and blue lump behind his nipple and suspected it was just a bruise. Over the next few weeks, the discoloration disappeared, but the lump remained.
Ronald Norman, 76, wrote an op-ed in which he shared his shocking experience when he was diagnosed with male breast cancer
The retired professor (pictured with his wife Caralie) only found out he had cancer after being hit in the chest during a game of pickleball
The 76-year-old assumed the black and blue lump on his right nipple was just a bruise, but when the lump remained, he saw a nurse and discovered it was a tumor.
In September, Norman was looking for a nurse. “She took one look at it and said, ‘It doesn’t look good; I’m ordering a mammogram because it could be breast cancer,” he wrote.
The ex-professor was shocked. ‘What? Breast cancer? I? Not really! There is no real history of cancer in my family tree.’
But he had a mammogram and received the official diagnosis: male breast cancer.
An echocardiogram, which uses sound waves to create images, was ordered to examine the lymph nodes in Norman’s right armpit. A PET scan revealed not only the pile of cancer, but at least three of the nodules.
His diagnosis was narrowed down to stage 2 to 3 breast cancer.
“If only I had acted sooner, I might have caught the cancer before it spread to my lymph nodes,” Norman wrote. “But playing the “what if” or “why me?” game didn’t help. Staying positive and ready to take corrective action was the best strategy.”
After discussions with doctors and family members, Norman chose an “alternative, more natural” treatment method and saw the tumor shrink after four months.
He received regular infusions of small amounts of chemotherapy tailored specifically to his blood counts and experienced no traditional chemotherapy side effects.
A PET scan showed the cancer had spread to the lymph nodes in his right armpit, and the diagnosis was narrowed down to stage 2 to 3 breast cancer
Norman underwent a series of treatments, including the use of estrogen blockers. For years, his body produced higher than normal levels of hormones, possibly causing cancer
He encourages other men to regularly examine their own breasts and report any suspicious lumps to a doctor, warning: “You have to catch them as early as possible.”
“I thought everything was fine. “Unfortunately, my tumor was still there when the show ended,” Norman wrote.
He ended up having to undergo a mastectomy to remove his right breast and the cancerous lymph nodes in his armpit.
This was followed by eight rounds of chemotherapy over a period of 16 weeks and then six weeks of radiation five days a week.
Five years later, he was told to take anti-estrogen medication because his body was producing more estrogen than normal, which may have been the cause of his breast cancer.
Norman has since undergone eight rounds of chemotherapy and was waiting to start radiation therapy, a treatment that uses high-energy radiation to kill cells.
“Thankfully, most of the chemotherapy side effects were avoidable, except for a sore tongue, partial numbness in my fingers/toes, no fingerprints, hair loss (I didn’t have much anyway!), and persistent limitation or loss to energy,” the retired professor wrote.
“To me, these are short-term sacrifices for the potential of future long-term health.” And what made the difference for me was an incredible support group of family and friends throughout my journey.”
Although “annual mammograms are an option,” Norman recommends that men examine their breasts several times throughout the year.
“If you feel a lump, make sure your doctor checks it,” he urged.
“It could be nothing, a cyst, or it could be the ‘big C,’ and if it’s the ‘big C,’ you want to catch it as early as possible.”
According to the American Cancer Society, the lifetime risk of breast cancer in men is about one in 833.
Scientists do not yet fully understand the causes of breast cancer in men, but they have identified several factors that can increase the risk. Many factors are related to the body’s sex hormone levels.
Aging also plays an important role as the risk increases with age. On average, men with breast cancer are about 72 years old when they are diagnosed.
The risk of breast cancer is higher if other family members (blood relatives) have breast cancer. About one in five men with breast cancer has a close relative, male or female, who has the disease.
Other factors that may increase the risk include heavy alcohol consumption (possibly due to alcohol’s effect on the liver, which balances sex hormone levels), obesity and exposure to radiation.
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Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
