The doctor-triathlete is living with rare cancer.
In October 2015, Evan Freiberg, MD, Ph.D., went from doctor to patient when he found a lump on his ankle. A subsequent MRI revealed a five-centimeter mass of leiomyosarcoma, an extremely rare form of cancer that develops in muscle cells. There is no cure—yet.
“Mine is especially rare since it’s growing from inside a bone,” says Freiberg, 45, a radiologist based in Englishtown, New Jersey, who loves running, biking, and swimming. After getting a below-the-knee amputation in February 2016 to remove the primary tumor, doctors found that the cancer had spread to his lungs. He has been on chemotherapy nonstop since December 2016.
Freiberg recently faced another hurdle when doctors found a metastatic mass in his liver. With surgery slated for January 23, he still plans to cheer for his Cycle for Survival team, Evan’s Energy, at Equinox Bryant Park on February 8. Since its founding in 2007, Cycle for Survival has raised more than $222 million for rare cancer research led by Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
“Drug companies, rightfully so, want to come up with cures for colon cancer, breast cancer, and prostate cancer because they affect more people,” he explains. “Rare cancers don’t have much research funding, which is why Cycle for Survival is so important.”
Furthermore caught up with Freiberg ahead of Cycle for Survival’s 2020 events to talk recovery, triathlons, and more.