Man with breast cancer runs marathon to overcome disease

Marathon helps us overcome ourselves.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and when it comes to the disease, men are often not the first people to think of it. According to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, breast cancer in men is rare, accounting for only about 1% of cases. About 2,800 men are diagnosed with the disease each year in the United States.

Do not surrender when sentenced to death

A marathon runner from Saratoga is proving that the disease knows no gender — and he's not going to let the three words "I have cancer" stop him from running.

Richard Loud calls himself a “breast cancer adventurer,” and it’s that spirit that keeps him optimistic. Loud was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer in December 2024. He worried that he would have to give up the life he loved.

Men can get breast cancer too.

“I was in a really bad place, as you can imagine,” he said. “It was scary, lonely, and you had absolutely no idea what was going to happen. I even said I didn’t want anyone to buy me Christmas presents that year, because I didn’t think I would be around to use them.”

Initially, Loud was advised to undergo multiple rounds of chemotherapy, followed by a mastectomy, radiation, and then five to 10 years of drug treatment. But after seeking a second opinion from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, he decided to participate in a clinical trial of endocrine therapy (also known as hormone therapy). Loud said it was “less toxic” than chemotherapy, and doctors encouraged him to continue living as normally as possible during treatment.

Running helps to be optimistic

“I had done a lot of marathons before, and there was actually a bunch of races in the spring that I thought I was going to have to cancel because of the cancer,” Loud said. “But then they said just live as normally as possible. So, like I decided, I’m not going to cancel any of them. I’m going to run.”

To date, Loud has completed 53 marathons, four of which he participated in while still undergoing cancer treatment. He credits the love and support from his family, friends and community for his greatest strength in overcoming his difficulties. Loud hopes that his story will help raise awareness and send the message that breast cancer is not just a “women’s disease.”

Optimism will overcome illness.

“I decided to be as open as possible and spread the message, to let men know that they can get it too,” he said. “That’s what I want to emphasize – face it, speak up loudly. Because the more men know, the less stigma and shame there will be. Then there will be no more hesitation to talk about it.”

On September 12, Loud officially completed his treatment. In November, he will participate in the New York City Marathon to raise funds for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

Source: https://znews.vn/nguoi-dan-ong-bi-ung-thu-vu-chay-marathon-de-vuot-benh-tat-post1590753.html