Former Marine Staying Active Despite Stage 4 Breast Cancer

By Katherine Stephens

Gordon College News Service

October 10, 2013
(This assigned story appeared in a special print section Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2013, in The Salem News and its sister papers.)

PEABODY—When former Marine and North Andover resident Peter Devereaux, 51, bumped his hand into his chest one morning and felt a lump, he thought it was a cyst or fatty tissue. Disbelief and shock overwhelmed him when the doctor called back with the results: breast cancer.

“I had no idea men could have breast cancer. I repeated my name on the phone because I wanted to make sure he was looking at my records,” said Devereaux, who was diagnosed with stage 3B invasive ductal carcinoma in January of 2008.

“I can remember the day: it was a Wednesday night, my wife was working late and my daughter, Jackie, was watching Sponge Bob in the other room,” he said. “She was 10 years old at the time.”

Devereaux signed up for the marines after graduating from Peabody High in 1980, and is one of 82 men diagnosed with breast cancer from a speculated water contamination at the Marine Corps base, Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. Devereaux, who was at the base from 1980 to 1982, did not know this was the possible cause until he was already six months into treatment. After 14 months of aggressive radiation, a mastectomy, and the removal of 22 lymph nodes, Devereaux was exhausted and knew there was a high probability of the cancer returning.

“The body gets beat up. Even now, I’m 51, but I feel like I’m 80,” said Devereaux.

In 2009, Devereaux, a former ultra marathon runner and boxer, learned that the cancer had spread to his spine and ribs, reaching stage 4, metastatic breast cancer. Just this year, Devereaux was told that the cancer had spread again to his lung and liver. Despite repeatedly disappointing news, Devereaux took action early on and remains hopeful, working hard to live an active, healthy, and positive life.

“If you do just conventional treatment, you won’t live. That’s the fact,” said Devereaux. “You have to be proactive and do alternative stuff, everything from juicing, to changing your diet, to exercise, to acupuncture, massages, and mediation. Anything to help all of the poison being put in you.”

Anne Kelly, 60, a nurse practitioner with Boston’s Dana-Faber Cancer Institute in the Susan F. Smith Center for Breast Cancer, has known Devereaux since he was diagnosed.

“We try to encourage people to stay active, like Peter has done, and we try to make sure their treatment will allow them to be active, because maintaining a healthy mind and body connection is the best way to handle treatment,” said Kelly. “You also need to have family support.”

As one of seven siblings and a husband and father, Devereaux surrounds himself with the people he loves, and remains active in raising awareness for males and breast cancer.

“The advocacy work keeps him going sometimes. He loves sharing his story,” said Fiona Maguire, 48, Devereaux’s wife. “I can see the difference he has made in male breast cancer awareness. He has had an effect locally and nationally, and as long as he’s feeling good, he’ll do whatever he can.”

Devereaux has participated in events with Art beCAUSE, a breast cancer foundation. He has traveled to San Diego to take a class hosted by the National Breast Cancer Coalition on breast cancer awareness, and to MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, for a conference. He has also traveled to Washington, D.C. eight times to create awareness.

“I ask a lot why was I given this disease, but since I have it, I’ve got to make it worth something. I have to be involved in the change and finding a cure,” said Devereaux. “It can’t be for nothing. I have cancer, but it doesn’t have me.”

In 2011, some of his biggest supporters, a group of men he played basketball with, approached Devereux about starting a four-on-four basketball tournament to raise money for breast cancer awareness. What has now become the Turkey Shoot Out fundraiser is an action packed event that takes place after Thanksgiving at the World Gym in Danvers on Saturday, Nov. 30^th. It is $25 per person and $100 a team. The proceeds go to the Hope and Friendship Metastatic Breast Cancer group.

“You have to do things you love, surround yourself with the right people and train all of your friends and family on how you want to be treated,” said Devereaux. “They know it’s never going to be a pity party around me. I want positive energy. I have a great life, and I’m one of the richest guys I know, besides having stage four breast cancer.”