Fifteen years ago, Dr. Marty Giles heard the three words everyone dreads : “You have cancer.”
His was rare — male breast cancer. An estimated 2,600 men will be diagnosed breast cancer this year, according to the National Breast Cancer Foundation; about 450 men die of the disease each year.
After surgery, chemotherapy and nearly nine months worth of radiation, Giles is cancer-free.
Saturday, Giles will ride in Tucson Medical Center El Tour de Tucson presented by Casino del Sol. He’ll be wearing a pink jersey and representing Susan G. Komen Arizona.
The 49-year-old Giles and his wife, Robin, started the Ride for a Cure cycling team seven years ago. The team has since grown to 60 riders.
“I like that everyone in the group has been touched by breast cancer,” said Giles. “Everyone is related to or knows someone with breast cancer or a survivor. They each have their own story and reason for riding, for raising awareness.”
Team members are a cross- section of the Tucson community, from doctors and dentists to those in the military.
Riders come from Phoenix for the weekly rides, and will come from California, Colorado, Michigan and Mexico to participate Saturday.
“The riders all have an emotional reason for doing this,” said Suzanne Reichart, spokesperson for Susan G. Komen Arizona. “We had a husband of a woman diagnosed who started riding with the guys in January. It helped him connect and not feel alone. They didn’t know where to go for assistance, and we steered them to service providers. She finished all the radiation and has a clean bill of health.
“The team members are fully embedded and helped save a life. This is what keeps them riding. It’s unfortunate that breast cancer brought them together, however, they’ve built an extended family with all the hours of riding together on Sunday mornings.”
Giles, a family practitioner and owner of Giles Family Medicine, will ride tandem with Robin in the 55-mile race. Giles said he trains year-round and rides with a few other teams, so there’s no real need to prepare for the race. The team rides 30 to 40 miles on Sundays early in the season, building up to 50 or 60 miles as El Tour nears.
The team is on track to raise $40,000 for Susan G. Komen through El Tour. Giles has this advice: “Make sure you get regular screenings, stay physically active and maintain a good weight. Support groups like Komen who give back to your local community. And a shout-out to men, to be aware it can happen to you.”
