Pamela “PJ” Alexander is no stranger to adversity.
A 72-year-old barber and director at Kenny’s Academy of Barbering, Alexander survived breast cancer not once — but twice. Her experience offers a powerful glimpse into the mental, physical and spiritual toll cancer takes on a person, while also serving as a rallying call to prioritize early detection and self-awareness.
Alexander’s first diagnosis came in 1999, at a time when public awareness and treatment options were far more limited than today.
“I was in Los Angeles working as a barber, owning two shops in Inglewood and cutting hair for athletes and entertainers,” Alexander told the Indianapolis Recorder. “I felt a change in my right breast — no pain, no sickness, just a growth. I knew something wasn’t right.”
Doctors at Kaiser Permanente confirmed her suspicion: Stage 1 to Stage 2 invasive breast cancer.
“The doctor wouldn’t let me leave his office,” Alexander said. “I went into shock. I didn’t know how I would tell my family, my mother. I thought I was going to die.”
She first called her aunt, Emily Redman, in Florida, who gave her a moment of clarity.
“She told me, ‘You could leave that hospital and get hit by a truck. Cancer doesn’t have you. You have cancer,'” Alexander said. “That grounded me.”
Surgery came in late 1999. Following that, Alexander underwent radiation treatment and started a five-year regimen of hormone therapy medication. She was spared chemotherapy thanks to early detection — a critical factor in her recovery.
Alexander then entered a years-long cycle of mammograms, follow-up visits and scans. It wasn’t until 2001, after ringing the ceremonial bell for completing treatment, that she was declared cancer-free.
Rather than keep her story private, Alexander turned her survival into advocacy.
“I started speaking at events for Avon and Revlon’s breast cancer awareness walks,” Alexander said. “I spoke to young women in my shop and to men, too — because yes, men can get breast cancer.”
According to the American Cancer Society’s 2025 *Cancer Facts & Figures*, 2,800 new cases of breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in men this year. Meanwhile, more than 316,000 women are projected to receive invasive breast cancer diagnoses, with an additional 59,080 expected to be diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ.
Breast cancer remains one of the most common forms of cancer in the U.S. It is also one of the deadliest. In 2025, the disease is projected to claim the lives of over 42,000 women and 510 men.
Still, progress is evident. The American Cancer Society reports a “34% drop in the overall U.S. cancer death rate since its peak in 1991,” largely due to early detection, better treatments and lifestyle changes.
Alexander’s story reinforces the value of vigilance.
“I never got sick a day in my life,” Alexander told the Indianapolis Recorder. “You’ve got to know your body. The only reason I knew something was wrong was because I paid attention to the changes.”
Alexander’s first battle ended in triumph. However, two decades later, in 2020 — amid the height of the COVID-19 pandemic — she was diagnosed again. This time, the cancer was found in her left breast.
“That second time, I wasn’t as devastated,” Alexander said. “I had faith that if God brought me through once, I could get through again. But this time, there was the added fear of COVID. Would I catch it in the hospital? Would I survive both?”
Despite the risks, she went forward with surgery and radiation. Hospitals in Indianapolis, where she had since relocated, modified treatment paths to reduce exposure to the virus. Alexander remembers being escorted through back corridors and private elevators to avoid other patients.
She again endured treatment, medication and routine checkups. And again, she survived.
More than 2 million new cancer cases are expected to be diagnosed in the U.S. in 2025, with an estimated 618,000 deaths. In Indiana alone, more than 6,400 new cases of female breast cancer are anticipated in the same year.
The American Cancer Society estimates that “40% of cancers are potentially preventable.” Roughly 19% are linked to cigarette smoking, 8% to excess body weight and 5% to alcohol use. Screening and early detection can dramatically reduce death rates from cancers of the breast, prostate, lung and colon.
“Cancer doesn’t mean death,” Alexander said. “But it does mean you have to pay attention, you have to fight, and you need people around you who will fight with you.”
Her family, including her mother, Margaret Hamilton, and a circle of close friends, played key roles in her healing process.
“They were stronger than I was,” Alexander admitted. “They prayed, they supported me, and they kept me going.”
She now urges others, especially Black men and women, to prioritize routine checkups. Breast cancer remains the most diagnosed cancer among Black women, and while survival rates are improving, disparities remain. The five-year relative survival rate across all cancers is 69%, but it drops to 65% for Black patients.
“There are so many resources now that didn’t exist back in 1999,” Alexander said. “Support groups, access to better treatment and information. But the first step is still the same: you must get checked.”
Today, Alexander shares her journey with students, clients and peers at Kenny’s Academy of Barbering.
“I’m not ashamed of it,” Alexander said. “I’m proud. Proud to be alive. Proud to have a story to tell.”
Her message is clear: Know your body, don’t ignore signs and, above all, don’t delay care.
“I never got sick. That’s the scary part,” Alexander said. “Cancer is quiet until it’s not. That’s why you have to be loud for yourself.”
Contact Multi-Media & Senior Sports Reporter Noral Parham at 317-762-7846. Follow him on Facebook or TikTok @horsemensportsmedia. For more news, click here.
Noral Parham is the multi-media & senior sports reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder, one of the oldest Black publications in the country. Parham has worked with various leagues to provide a diverse perspective in sports, including the Big Ten, Big East, IHSAA, IndyCar, MLB, NHRA, NFL, NBA, WNBA, WWE and the Olympics. Prior to joining the Recorder, Parham served as the community advocate of the MLK Center in Indianapolis and senior copywriter for an e-commerce and marketing firm in Denver.
