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Men aren't immune to breast cancer

Bill Garwood's Story of survival

"Take charge of your health.”

That’s the message Bill Garwood, breast cancer survivor and associate vice president of finance for suburban hospitals with UTMB, wants to leave with the people who read his story.

Diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer in December 2018, Garwood has been cancer-free since the mastectomy he had in 2019. However, had he not been in tune with his body and made time to address his concerns, his outcome may have been much worse.

“I’ve always been diligent with exercise and getting annual physicals,” he said, noting that he had his annual exam with his primary care provider just seven days before his cancer diagnosis on Dec. 18, 2018.

At the time of his appointment, he felt completely fine and didn’t have the slightest suspicion he might have something serious brewing inside of him. That all changed a few days later when he felt a pain on the right side of his chest while he was lying in bed.

“Initially, I didn’t think anything of it,” he said.

When he felt the pain again during the day while at work, he pressed on the area of discomfort and felt something hard.

That was enough for him to call his doctor and schedule another appointment. That appointment was followed by a visit to the UTMB League City Campus where he had an ultrasound and biopsy both in the same day.

When the results came back positive for breast cancer, Garwood felt shock and disbelief.

“I was generally aware that breast cancer could occur in men, but I never once believed it would affect me directly, because it’s rare,” he said.

Current data estimates that about one out of every 100 breast cancer cases in the United States is found in a man.

Garwood went on to share that his mother passed away from breast cancer when she was 35 years old, but testing at the time of his diagnosis determined his case was not a genetic one.

When he learned of his diagnosis, he immediately alerted his loved ones — including his brothers and daughters. To date, they all remain healthy and well, including Bill. They all are staying on top of their screenings and appointments, being mindful of the risk factors they have for breast cancer.

For Bill, the ongoing screenings and appointments include an annual visit with the surgeon responsible for his mastectomy, Dr. Colleen Silva, professor at the UTMB Health Department of Surgery and medical director of the UTMB Breast Health and Imaging Center in League City. He also meets with his oncologist every six months and currently is taking medication to keep his estrogen levels low, as the type of cancer he was diagnosed with was considered estrogen-positive breast cancer.

Next month will mark five years since he began taking the daily pill, but he’s actually in the process of exploring alternatives and whether continuing with it is the best course of action for him.

“My oncologist is talking about the possibility of continuing it for an additional five years just because of current science in that area,” he said, adding that while the medication is keeping his estrogen levels in check, it also is interrupting the way his body absorbs calcium, which is problematic.

“When I meet with my oncologist next time, we’ll talk through my options and determine the best path forward, because if I stop the estrogen- regulating medication, there’s a small chance the cancer could come back,” he said.

So, while chemotherapy, surgeries and radiation may be a thing of Garwood’s past, staying on top of his health and risks for cancer is top of mind daily. And despite the drawbacks of the medications, he explains it’s still better than the alternative of not being here at all. Since defeating cancer, he’s gone on to make numerous memories with his many loved ones, including two granddaughters. By his side through it all has been his wife of more than 40 years.

Telling his wife about his diagnosis all those years ago was quite challenging, he said.

“I hated having to tell my wife,” Garwood said. “I know, at least in my wife’s case, she was really scared she was going to lose me.”

But Garwood never had any doubt in his mind he’d come out on the other side of his battle.

“In my mind, there was never a question that I was going to beat it and get through it and be healthy,” he said. “I think for the actual person going through the journey, you have to decide you’re going to beat it.”

Bill and Dr. Silva shared more about his story in a recent video interview with Houston Moms.

This feature first ran as a feature story in the 2024 Think Pink special section of the Daily News. You can view the full the publication online .