Ep. 118: The “And Then” of Cancer: Jake Messier on Stage 4 Male Breast Cancer (Pt. 2)

In Part 2 of my conversation with Jake Messier, we go deeper into the realities of living with stage 4 male breast cancer.Jake opens up about metastatic breast cancer, scanxiety, survivorship, mental health, and the emotional rollercoaster of receiving good news… followed by an “and then.” We talk honestly about toxic positivity, advocacy, purpose, and what it means to keep moving forward when cancer doesn’t follow a straight path.Jake also shares how he turned his own diagnosis into a platform for awareness and support, using social media to educate others about the reality that men get breast cancer too—and why inclusion in breast cancer conversations matters.We also discuss:• Living with stage 4 breast cancer and the uncertainty of scans• The emotional toll of “scanxiety” and survivorship• Toxic positivity vs. allowing yourself to feel hard emotions• Supporting caregivers and family during cancer• Why men are still left out of many breast cancer conversations• Jake’s advocacy work and role in changing awareness around male breast cancer• Inclusion, representation, and underserved voices in cancer spaces• Susan G. Komen’s metastatic steering committee and national advocacy work• Why awareness matters: men get breast cancer tooJake Messier:📧 [email protected]📱 Instagram & TikTok: @theguywithstage4breastcancer🌐 Website: www.theguywithstage4breastcancer.comMale Breast Cancer Organizations Mentioned:• Male Breast Cancer Global Alliance: https://mbcglobalalliance.org/• Male Breast Cancer Happens: https://malebreastcancerhappens.org/• HIS Breast Cancer Awareness (for men with hereditary/genetic risk): https://www.hisbreastcancer.org/