Through its Men 2 program, the Riverside-based nonprofit provides financial and emotional support to men facing a breast cancer diagnosis
RIVERSIDE, CA — As Breast Cancer Awareness Month gets underway, The CARE Project, Inc. is reminding the Inland Empire that breast cancer is not only a women’s disease. About 1 in 755 men will be diagnosed in their lifetime, and many are diagnosed late because they never knew they were at risk.
“When you hear the words breast cancer patient or survivor, you might picture a woman. But men can and do get breast cancer too,” said Carrie Madrid, Founder and President of The CARE Project and a Stage III breast cancer survivor.
Because men have less breast tissue, a tumor can be found close to the surface as a lump in the chest or armpit. Other signs include nipple changes or discharge, as well as puckering or redness of the skin. Madrid urges men, and the people who love them, to take any change seriously and see a doctor promptly.
“Male breast cancer is often overlooked, leading to advanced stages and higher mortality,” Madrid said. “If you notice a lump, do not ignore it.”
The CARE Project’s Men 2 Program provides financial assistance and care to men battling breast cancer and serves men nationwide. The program was long championed by the late Pat Washburn, who lost her husband to the disease and traveled the country in a car transformed into a mobile awareness platform, spreading the message that men are at risk too.
“Breast cancer does not discriminate, and neither does The CARE Project,” said Madrid.
The CARE Project supports breast cancer patients, men and women alike, with:
• Financial assistance with treatment co-pays, rent, utilities, groceries, and transportation
• Peer mentoring and emotional support through the monthly Survivor Social Club
• Lymphedema care, including no-cost compression sleeves, gauntlets, and gloves through a partnership with LymphaDivas
• End-of-life doula services, provided at no cost by Carrie Madrid, a certified end-of-life doula
• Adam’s Angels, which provides grants to children who lose a parent to breast cancer
For more information or support, contact Madrid at Support@TheCareProjectInc.org or (951) 742-7405, or visit TheCareProjectInc.org.
