Couple, Married for More Than 50 Years, Has Survived 6 Cancer Diagnoses Between Them: ‘Nobody Knows Your Body but You’

AOL.com • January 18, 2026 • health

Key Points:

David and Pat Penny, a married couple from Johnston County, North Carolina, have collectively survived six cancer diagnoses over their 51 years together, turning their experience into advocacy for early cancer detection.
David, an Army veteran and former firefighter, has faced five cancer diagnoses, including rare male breast cancer, which he discovered through a self-exam in 2025 and treated successfully with a lumpectomy.
Pat was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 56 during a routine mammogram in 2009, crediting early detection for saving her life.
Both now volunteer with the American Cancer Society, encouraging others to perform regular self-checks and seek timely medical attention for any abnormalities.
They emphasize that cancer can affect