Meet the Philadelphia cancer patient being honored before Tuesday's Phillies game
A Philadelphia cancer patient will be honored at the Phillies' game against the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday night.
The Fox Chase Cancer Center and the Phillies are joining forces for what they're calling Strike Out Cancer Night. The ceremonial first pitch will come from a young man who's part of a concerning trend.
"As a lifelong Phillies fan, you think that you're gonna get to the major leagues by playing," Josh Breen said. "I think that this is a different way of going."
As a young cancer patient, Breen will be throwing out the first pitch at the Phillies' Strike Out Cancer Night.
"Definitely a little bit of pressure," Breen said.
In physical therapy now at Fox Chase, Breen knows all about pressure. A year ago, he was diagnosed with stage 3 melanoma, a deadly kind of skin cancer. It was right after his wedding. Breen was on his honeymoon in Italy when he discovered a lump.
"Very scary at the time," Breen said. "It's supposed to be the best part of your life. And then you kind of quickly get torn down."
Breen was only 30 when he was diagnosed with stage 3 melanoma, which is part of a new trend of young people being diagnosed with different types of cancer.
"Many young patients, cancer is not on their radar as it should not be, but suddenly they're presenting with these small lesions that then can turn into bigger problems," Dr. Jeffrey Farma said.
Farma, the head of surgery at Fox Chase, said that before his surgery, Breen had immunotherapy, which is changing the face of cancer.
"The survival and outcomes is really the best we've ever seen, so really, really exciting," Farma said.
The exciting cancer advancements now come with fertility options.
"I was able to bank my sperm a week before I started immunotherapy treatment," Breen said.
Breen and his wife, Sam, are expecting a baby boy on July 19.
Fox Chase now has a program specifically for young cancer patients to help with everything from fertility to work, school and family issues.
"From this moment that our younger patients are in the door, we're providing all of these resources in a combined program, which is amazing," Farma said.
Breen said it's been a wild year of highs and lows. Now, it's just about getting his pitch over home plate.
"Things are definitely trending in the right direction," Breen said.
Breen will undoubtedly receive plenty of applause Tuesday night before the game starts. He said he now always uses sunscreen, which is critical for guarding against skin cancer.
