Australian freerunning star Dominic Di Tommaso has revealed he carries an inherited gene linked to breast and prostate cancer after a devastating family battle with the disease.
The Sydney-born athlete, who is known to millions of fans worldwide for his death-defying parkour stunts, has partnered with the National Breast Cancer Foundation to raise awareness about cancer risks in men.
Di Tommaso said he wanted more Australians to understand that breast cancer is not exclusively a women’s disease.
‘Breast cancer can happen to anyone,’ he told News Corp.
The 34-year-old said the issue is deeply personal after losing his grandmother to breast cancer and later learning that a cancer-linked gene had been passed through his family.
The hereditary risk first came to light when his sister underwent genetic testing during pregnancy and discovered she carried the mutation.
Freerunning star Dominic Di Tommaso is urging Australians to understand breast cancer can affect men as well as women
Di Tommaso revealed his family’s devastating history with cancer while raising awareness through the National Breast Cancer Foundation
Di Tommaso was subsequently tested and learned he carried it too.
His father was later diagnosed with prostate cancer, another disease associated with the same inherited genetic fault.
‘I think it’s something that is predominantly spoken about with women, but it is something that does affect quite a few men proportionally in the world,’ he said.
‘I want to make sure that everyone that suffers from breast cancer is getting the treatment and attention they require.’
While male breast cancer remains rare, around 200 Australian men are diagnosed with the disease every year.
Breast cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australia, with more than 20,000 Australians diagnosed annually.
Men account for about one per cent of cases, but experts warn they can still develop the disease because they have breast tissue.
The Sydney athlete says more men need to understand their cancer risks and seek medical advice early
Symptoms can include lumps in the chest area, nipple changes and changes to the skin around the breast.
‘Breast cancer for men is a topic that’s less spoken about,’ Di Tommaso said.
‘It comes from a place where it really has affected the people in my family.’
The athlete, who has amassed millions of followers through his freerunning videos and global Red Bull projects, said his diagnosis has also influenced plans for his own future family.
He and his partner are exploring options including IVF to reduce the risk of passing the mutation on to future children.
‘We should do everything in our power to safeguard the next generation,’ he said.
Di Tommaso hopes speaking publicly about his experience will encourage more men to pay attention to their health and seek medical advice if they notice anything unusual.
‘Breast cancer can happen to anyone,’ he said.
