Emily (Brunemann) Klueh Receives Positive News After 2nd PET Cancer Scan

Former US National Teamer Emily (Brunemann) Klueh has posted an update on her cancer treatments on her GoFundMe page, with generally positive news on the status of her cancer treatment.

Klueh was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer in late 2024 at only 38 years old. The cancer had spread and doctors found eight masses in her chest which had spread to her lymph nodes and the lining of her lungs.

Just three months into her treatment, though, she says only two of the original tumors from her first PET scan are still visible, and that those two have shrunk “significantly”.

The Update:

I had my first PET scan since being on treatment this past Saturday. We met with my oncologist today to go over the results and what it means for me moving forward. When I was diagnosed, the first PET scan showed multiple tumors. These tumors were in these locations I had a main tumor in my breast with multiple satellite tumors around it, multiple auxiliary lymph nodes, multiple tumors in the lung pleura, multiple lymph nodes at the bottom of my lung and a lymph node around T2 of my spine. After the PET scan:

– The tumors in my lung pleura are NOT visible
– The lymph node tumors near my T2 spine are NOT visible
– The lymph node tumors near the lower part of my lung are NOT visible
– Only 1 tumor in my auxiliary lymph nodes is visible and significantly smaller than before
– Only my primary tumor in my breast is visible and has shrunk significantly in size

Out of all of the original tumors located in my first PET scan, only 2 are visible in this PET scan only three months after treatment. The plan is working. The prayers are working. The love and support are helping me more than I could ever express.

Klueh says that she “still has a long battle” ahead, and that her cancer can never be cured but can be suppressed to where there is no evidence of disease. She said that among the future medical options that she and her team are exploring includes removing her ovaries because the estrogen produced their “feeds her cancer”.

Klueh was an All-American distance swimmer at the University of Michigan, winning the 1650 free at the 2008 NCAA Championship meet. In 2009 she shifted her focus to open water. She was the 10k at the 2009 US National Championship and placed 9th in the 5k at the 2009 World Championships.

She would later win bronze in the 10k at the 2010 Pan Pacific Championships and won four Open Water World Cup gold medals from 2011 through 2013. In 2013, she became the first American to win the Open Water World Cup tour title.

In 2023, Klueh joined the USA Swimming National Team Division staff as the manager of mental health and emotional wellness. After the hiring, USA Swimming touted that they were the first U.S. National Governing Body with an in-house mental health professional on staff.

She also previously served as the program coordinator for Athletes Connected, a pioneering mental health program for athletes at the University of Michigan.

Emily Klueh is married to Michael Klueh, a three-time relay World Champion, former American Record holder in the 800 short course meters freestyle, and 9-time All-American at the University of Texas. The couple have two children, Adeline and Hunter.