A man who was diagnosed with a rare form of breast cancer has warned other men to check themselves to avoid being in a similar situation.
Mat Kelly, a chef, first discovered a lump in his chest in October 2024 while working to launch a new restaurant over in Chicago, USA.
The 42-year-old - who lives in New Cross, London with his fiancée Rachel - was referred to a hospital after visiting his GP, where he pushed for 'progress and answers', only to be told of his breast cancer diagnosis two days before Christmas.
Unfortunately for Mat, the condition got worse and started to spread by the following month, as a PET scan revealed that it had spread to his lymph node, spine and bones.
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Two more PET scans after starting chemotherapy revealed that the tumours had grown, so he moved on to having Enhertu, which uses a therapy drug and a chemotherapy drug, which is allowing him to live his life while 'keeping the cancer at bay'.
Speaking to PA Real Life, he admitted that he is 'currently in a state of cancer limbo', explaining: “I’m on chemo for the rest of my life every three weeks, but currently, I have no form of cancer within me, so I’ve had an amazing response to it.
“They 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.”
He urges men to 'check your chests' and to see a doctor if something doesn't feel right as 'it can be the difference between life and death'.
According to the NHS, the cause of male breast cancer isn't clear, but most cases involve men over the age of 60.
Mat said that he'd found the lump in his right breast tissue, but didn't give it much attention until he noticed one symptom in particular.
“When I came back to England at the end of October, I noticed my nipple started to invert and I thought, that isn’t normal, and I booked a doctor’s appointment,” he said.
A subsequent scan revealed that he had stage four cancer which had spread, as he had 'two lumps in my chest, a lump in my armpit and four lesions on his spine'.
The 'aggressive' form of chemotherapy he decided on didn't work in the end, as he ended up with cancer in 21 areas of his spine, as well as his pelvis, rib cage, and centre of his ribs.
He accepted the situation, gave up his work, and started to make a bucket list with his fiancée Rachel so he can make the most of his final moments on Earth.
“I just thought, well, if I’m potentially going to die, I want to have fun while I’m well enough to have fun,” he said, as the couple have been doing some travelling and dining at some of the most prestigious restaurants out there, such as Row on 5 on Savile Row.
Since starting Enhertu, he claims that he has 'no more metastases on (his) spine' and that the tumouts on his chest decreased by up to 40 percent.
Mat plans to marry Rachel in February next year, claiming that he has also developed an 'appreciation for the small things' in life.
“The word ‘breast’ is always seen as a female word, but men have breast tissue,” Mat added. “It’s about making people understand that men get breast cancer and demystifying it for people.”
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact Macmillan’s Cancer Support Line on 0808 808 00 00, 8am–8pm seven days a week.
Joshua Nair