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Man in Moody faces battle with breast cancer

One percent of people diagnosed with breast cancer are men. Jason Williamson, of Moody, TX, was diagnosed with stage two breast cancer a few months ago.

MOODY, Texas — With one touch, Janelle Williamson saved her husband, Jason Williamson's, life.

Janelle Williamson grabbed her husband's chest while they were four-wheeling in April. That's when she felt the lump, but the Moody couple never predicted what would come next.

The mass on the left of his chest turned out to be a tumor and Jason Williamson  was diagnosed with stage two breast cancer in June.

"I had heard that men could get breast cancer but it's not really something that is ever talked about," Janelle Williamson said.

Today, the family of seven knows Jason Williamson has a long road to recovery. 

It's been almost two weeks since Jason Williamson received his mastectomy, and one week since his first chemo treatment.

The couple said they wish they would've gone to the hospital earlier.

"They could have killed it with a couple bouts of radiation, and I would have been done with it," Jason Williamson said.

This is common amongst men, Dr. Carl Chakmakjian with Texas Oncology, said. Most men don't understand the signs of breast cancer, or they don't even look for it in the first place.

Less than one percent of breast cancer cases are in men, but a low rate doesn't mean they don't exist.

The high mortality rate in men with breast cancer can also be due to the fact that they do not understand the underlying risk factors.

"So men who are obese who are very overweight have higher estrogen levels than men that are not obese," Chakmakjian said.

Higher estrogen levels in men can lead to breast cancer, but so can age and genetic predispositions.

Chakmakjian added that the goal is to make sure more people know that men can get breast cancer too.

That's why Jason and Janelle Williamson have made it their mission to inform anyone they meet about Jason Williamson's journey.

They greet people at restaurants or out on the street, strike up a conversation, tell them this is real, and men should check themselves for the disease.

Apart from the hospital visits and the new wisdom they share with everyone, Jason and Janelle Williamson's life hasn't really changed.

Jason Williamson has continued to work while supporting his 9-year-old-daughter with her barrel racing.

Before he starts every day, he has made it a mission to do one thing.

"I'm the guy who's going to wake up every morning and post to Facebook with a good morning and a 'hashtag cancer can't stop me," he said.

He added that he fully intends on ringing the "cancer free bell" a year from now.

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