NFL Quarterback Tom Brady, 45, Leans On His Breast Cancer Surviving Mother As He Deals With Marriage Issues And Begins Football Season

Brady’s mother, Galynn, 78, and one of his sisters brought all of Brady’s children (Jack, 15, Benjamin, 12, and Vivian, 9) to the game. Benjamin and Vivian are Brady and Bündchen’s children, but Jack is Brady's son with his former girlfriend actress Bridget Moynahan, 51.

Amid reported tension between Brady and Bündchen, it was hard to ignore that Bündchen was absent from the event. A source recently told Page Six that “Tom and Gisele have recently struggled to make their marriage work and have grown apart." Prior to the game, Page Six also reported that another source said Brady was hoping she would be in attendance.

“Gisele mostly only attends home games,” the unidentified source said. “Tom and his team are hopeful she will be back in the family box with their kids for the Packers game.”

As he moves forward from the two-point loss and the absence of his wife, Brady is probably happy to have his loving mother by his side.

Tom Brady’s Mother Battles Cancer

Galynn Brady always tries to go to as many of her son’s football games as possible. But after she was diagnosed with stage two breast cancer in 2016, she had to take time away to manage her health.

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"My mom was about ready to start chemotherapy," Brady said of his mother’s cancer journey that occurred after the 2015 Deflategate scandal during a Man in the Arena episode. "I think, personally, it was very difficult for her to see her son kind of raked through the coals like I was, so we all wanted to really support her."

Because Brady was accused of cheating by deliberately deflating footballs he used on the field, he was suspended from the first four games of the 2016 football season. But this time away from the game helped the athlete see how important it was to prioritize his personal life.

"I was reflecting and having some perspective on the situation and realizing that this is what matters mostbeing with my family at a very vulnerable time," he said. "I was gonna do my best to forget about football for a little bit and catch up on some other aspects of my life."

Galynn’s breast cancer was “only stage 2,” but it was “a very fast growing, aggressive kind of cancer.” Thankfully, treatment consisting of surgeries, chemotherapy and radiation proved to be successful and Gaylynn is still cancer-free today. She even got to watch her son win Super Bowl LI for the New England Patriots because she finished chemo in time.

"You know, that year had its challenging aspects and the way that it culminated with us all being together. After the game with my mom, just, you know, giving her a big hug, and my dad and everyone was crying. It was just a really emotional time," Brady said. "We won the game, but my mom won, too. My family won, too."

Understanding Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is a common cancer that has been the subject of much research. Many women develop breast cancer every year, but men can develop this cancer too though it is more rare, in part, due to the simple fact that they have less breast tissue.

There are many treatment options for people with this disease, but treatment depends greatly on the specifics of each case. Identifying these specifics means looking into whether the cancerous cells have certain receptors. These receptors  the estrogen receptor, the progesterone receptor and the HER2 receptor  can help identify the unique features of the cancer and help personalize treatment.

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"These receptors, I like to imagine them like little hands on the outside of the cell, they can grab hold of what we call ligands, and these ligands are essentially the hormones that may be circulating in the bloodstream that can then be pulled into this cancer cell and used as a fertilizer, as growth support for the cells," Dr. Elizabeth Comen, a medical oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, previously told SurvivorNet.

The Unique Features of Breast Cancer: Deciding the Right Course of Treatment

One example of a type of ligand that can stimulate a cancer cell is the hormone estrogen, hence why an estrogen receptor positive breast cancer will grow when stimulated by estrogen. For these cases, your doctor may offer treatment that specifically targets the estrogen receptor. But for HER2 positive breast cancers, therapies that uniquely target the HER2 receptor may be the most beneficial.

The Importance of Breast Cancer Screening

Screening for breast cancer is typically done via mammogram, which looks for lumps in the breast tissue and signs of cancer. The American Cancer Society (ACS) says women should begin yearly mammogram screening for breast cancer at age 45 if they are at average risk for breast cancer. The ACS also says those aged 40-44 have the option to start screening with a mammogram every year, and women age 55 and older can switch to a mammogram every other year, or they can choose to continue yearly mammograms.

For screening purposes, a woman is considered to be at average risk if she doesn't have a personal history of breast cancer, a strong family history of breast cancer, a genetic mutation known to increase risk of breast cancer such as a BRCA gene mutation or a medical history including chest radiation therapy before the age of 30. Beyond genetics, family history and experience with radiation therapy, experiencing menstruation at an early age (before 12) or having dense breasts can also put you into a high-risk category. If you are at a higher risk for developing breast cancer, you should begin screening earlier.

In a previous interview with SurvivorNet, Dr. Connie Lehman, chief of the Breast Imaging Division at Massachusetts General Hospital, said people who hadn't reached menopause yet should prioritize getting a mammogram every year.

When Should I Get a Mammogram?

"We know that cancers grow more rapidly in our younger patients, and having that annual mammogram can be lifesaving," Dr. Lehman said. "After menopause, it may be perfectly acceptable to reduce that frequency to every two years. But what I'm most concerned about is the women who haven't been in for a mammogram for two, three or four years, those women that have never had a mammogram. We all agree regular screening mammography saves lives."

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It's also important to be on top of self breast exams. If you ever feel a lump in your breast, you should be vigilant and speak with your doctor right away. Voicing your concerns as soon as you have them can lead to earlier cancer detection which, in turn, can lead to better outcomes.

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