He was 'the 1%': When breast cancer became a shared diagnosis for Johnston County couple

It was the size of a pea. 

So small, many men would’ve overlooked it. David Penny knew better. 

“When I felt it, I said, ‘This is not normal,’ he said. 

About a month after his 73rd birthday last spring, David Penny told WRAL he was giving himself a routine self-exam when he felt the lump. 

The U.S. Army veteran immediately called his doctor at the Durham VA for an appointment. The next week, he was on an operating table having a lumpectomy. 

David Penny’s breast cancer diagnosis was rare, and the husband shared he knew he was lucky to catch it early. According to the American Cancer Society, less than 1% of breast cancer cases in the United States occur in men.  

“That’s not real high, but I was the 1%,” David Penny said. 

Rare diagnoses, however, were not new for the Johnston County man. 

“’82, I had non-Hodgkin lymphoma. ’83, I had non-Hodgkin lymphoma. ’94, I had a sarcoma. ’95, I had a sarcoma, and then this year I had breast cancer,” David said. “I have caught it five different times.”

Inside their Benson living room, the couple shared their gratitude for the extra years together that they once thought might not come.  

“He was supposed to be dead at 30,” Pat Penny said. “We’re just blessed. He's the ever-ready bunny. He takes a licking and keeps on ticking!"

The couple shared David Penny’s early, and repeated, bouts with cancer instilled the importance of keeping up with their primary care doctors and taking any small change seriously. 

His surgery came with clean margins, and his scans since have remained clear. The couple said the goal was to avoid any additional chemotherapy or radiation, due to his previous diagnoses. 

While her cancer journey years earlier was a little different, Pat Penny’s breast cancer diagnosis also came through early detection.

“It was October and breast cancer awareness month,” she said. “I happened to have a mammogram scheduled.”Pat Penny was 56 at the time and said she wasn’t worried because all of her previous exams had been normal. Looking back, she is grateful she didn’t delay her checkup. 

“They found my cancer early. It was really deep embedded, and if it had grown to the point where I could’ve found it, it would’ve been too late,” Pat Penny said. “I had no clue. I’m a really big advocate for mammograms and self-awareness. Early detection and early treatment is so important.”

Pat Penny said she was declared cancer-free in 2010, and is thankful to have remained so since.  

The couple told WRAL their goal is to use their stories to encourage others to prioritize their own health in the new year, especially as cancer incidence rates rise.

“In 1982, the only other person I knew with cancer was my little 12-year-old cousin. Other than her, I didn’t know anybody that had cancer,” Pat Penny shared. “Now, you don’t have to go far. Every family seems to be affected one way or another.” 

The couple has been heavily involved with the American Cancer Society, serving as advocates for cancer research. 

The organization celebrated the 40th anniversaries of both Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the Relay for Life movement in 2025.

Pat Penny helped launch the Johnston County Relay for Life and served as chairman for 15 years before stepping down the same month she was ultimately diagnosed with breast cancer.

“We’re just thankful the American Cancer Society and other things are there to find cures, and we need our government to support funds for cancer research and other research,” Pat Penny added. “Faith in God, good doctors, and good research will make all the difference in the world.” 

Over its 100+ years, the American Cancer Society has heavily researched the impacts of various occupational hazards on future cancer risk. David Penny, who served as a firefighter for more than twenty years, said he is glad to see its research.

An American Cancer Society study released in 2025 found the mortality rate from skin cancer was 58% higher for male firefighters, as compared to males in other occupations. Firefighters were also 40% more likely to die from kidney cancer. 

A career of 30 years or longer was also linked to an increased risk of death from prostate and colorectal cancers. 

Similar studies over the years have led North Carolina fire stations to invest in better protective equipment and implement new post-call procedures to reduce cancer risk. 

When asked what else they felt was driving a surge in cancer cases in recent years, Pat Penny stated, “processed foods.”

She continued, “Our diet back in the day—everybody had healthy food; they grew it. Now it’s imported from everywhere, and you just don’t know what kinds of chemicals have been used. Try to stay with the greens and healthy stuff, and exercise.”

Decades of experience have left the Pennys with a simple message for others: pay attention, and take action.

“Nobody knows your body but you,” David Penny said. “If you have anything wrong with you, don’t put it off for a week or two weeks hoping it’ll go away.”

Pat Penny added, “There’s no age; just because you’re young or old, either way, you can get cancer, so be aware.”