One Transgender Man’s Story of Getting Breast Cancer

Casey Sexton, born and raised as a woman, is an example of an individual who underwent gender transformation to become a man and then received a diagnosis of breast cancer. Growing up in Middleton, Sexton struggled to identify as a female even during childhood. “I always felt like I was a boy. I was a tomboy back then. That’s what we said,” Sexton said. At the age of 14 or 15, Sexton read an article by an advice columnist, who discussed the transgender concept. He said “I went, ‘Oh, that’s it. That makes sense,’”. During his teen years, Sexton dropped out of high school and in his mid 20s, he changed his name to Casey. In 1999, when he was in his mid 30s, Sexton started taking testosterone treatments.  He began to take on a more man-like appearance; however, he still had large breasts that he strived to conceal. “It was really uncomfortable because I looked like a guy, but people would touch my back, and I had a bra” he said. In 2010, Sexton won the jackpot at Dejope Casino and he used his winnings to pay for breast removal surgery.