Kenneth Gomez of Amarillo is living with stage 4 breast cancer that has spread to his liver, lungs, lymph nodes and brain, and he is speaking out so other men know they can get it too.
His cancer returned after he had been in remission. His wife, Denise, has stayed by his side through a fight the couple thought was behind them. What keeps him going? Gomez points to her.
Denise said watching him face cancer again has raised difficult questions. "Life throws these curveballs and you don't understand why this is happening," she said.
The treatment is moving in the right direction. "After six treatments they've actually shrunk the tumors. So it's actually working right now," Gomez said. A recent hospital stay shows the road has not been smooth.
Thousands of men get a breast cancer diagnosis every year, but many people hear the words and never picture a man. "We have breasts just like women. We just don't lactate," Gomez said. "The reason I do that is maybe I can get through to some guy."
His plan for each day is simple: "You just keep on keeping on."
Common questions
What stage is Kenneth Gomez's breast cancer?
- Kenneth Gomez of Amarillo has stage 4 breast cancer. It has spread to his liver, lungs, lymph nodes and brain. His cancer came back after he had been in remission, a fight he and his wife, Denise, thought was behind them. He is speaking out so other men know they can get it too.
Is Kenneth Gomez's cancer treatment working?
- Yes, his treatment is moving in the right direction. Gomez said six treatments have shrunk the tumors, so it is working right now. The road has not been smooth, though, and a recent hospital stay shows that. Gomez says his wife, Denise, is what keeps him going.
Can men get breast cancer?
- Yes, men can get breast cancer. Thousands of men get a breast cancer diagnosis, and Kenneth Gomez of Amarillo is speaking out so other men know it can happen to them. His own stage 4 cancer returned after remission and has spread to his liver, lungs, lymph nodes and brain.
