Asked by anonymous
Learning About Breast CancerI am a 9 year 4 months survivor of stage 2 triple negative b/c
4 comments 42 year survivor here. Diagnosed with stage one triple negative when I was 31
Comment 2Asked by anonymous
Learning About Breast CancerI hope this information helps! If you are under the age of 40 & have a family history of breast cancer, I recommend genetic testing for the BRCA mutation. From what I know, many women who are BRCA positive & diagnosed with breast cancer are diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer.
From the...
I hope this information helps! If you are under the age of 40 & have a family history of breast cancer, I recommend genetic testing for the BRCA mutation. From what I know, many women who are BRCA positive & diagnosed with breast cancer are diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer.
From the website: http://www.tnbcfoundation.org/index.html
It is only in the last few years that professionals studying breast cancer have concluded that breast cancer is not one disease, but many different forms of cancer all originating in the breast. Depending on its stage of diagnosis, triple negative breast cancer can be extremely aggressive and more likely to recur and metastasize than other subtypes of breast cancer. It typically is responsive to chemotherapy, although it can be more difficult to treat because it is unresponsive to the most effective receptor targeted treatments.
These subtypes of breast cancer are generally diagnosed based upon the presence, or lack of, three "receptors" known to fuel most breast cancers: estrogen receptors, progesterone receptors and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). The most successful treatments for breast cancer target these receptors.
Unfortunately, none of these receptors are found in women with triple negative breast cancer. In other words, a triple negative breast cancer diagnosis means that the offending tumor is estrogen receptor-negative, progesterone receptor-negative and HER2-negative, thus giving rise to the name "triple negative breast cancer." On a positive note, this type of breast cancer is typically responsive to chemotherapy. Because of its triple negative status, however, triple negative tumors generally do not respond to receptor targeted treatments. Depending on the stage of its diagnosis, triple negative breast cancer can be particularly aggressive, and more likely to recur than other subtypes of breast cancer.
I recommend going to the following link & scrolling down to "Download a copy of our Guide to Understanding Triple Negative Breast Cancer"
http://www.lbbc.org/Understanding-Breast-Cancer/Guides-to-Understanding-Breast-Cancer/Guide-to-Understanding-Triple-Negative-Breast-Cancer
In other words, I'm cancer free and not on tamoxifen because triple negative tumors don't respond to it. It's scary to read about it, but a lot of the info is outdated. I just go right to my doctor and the nurses rather than Google.
Comment 0Asked by anonymous
Learning About Breast CancerHas your doctor tested you for the BRCA gene mutation? If not, I would suggest doing that before moving forward with him/her. Triple negative breast cancer is most often associated with the BRCA gene mutation & if you happen to have it, you may be advised to do more than a lumpectomy. I'm no...
Has your doctor tested you for the BRCA gene mutation? If not, I would suggest doing that before moving forward with him/her. Triple negative breast cancer is most often associated with the BRCA gene mutation & if you happen to have it, you may be advised to do more than a lumpectomy. I'm no doctor...it's just a suggestion. I'd get a second opinion, anyway. :) Wishing you the best!
Hello - you know lumpectomies can vary enomormusly in size and location, as can the number and type of stitches required. All that as well as your general health and other complications such as infection means the recovery rate can vary significantly from person to person. I was discharged around...
Hello - you know lumpectomies can vary enomormusly in size and location, as can the number and type of stitches required. All that as well as your general health and other complications such as infection means the recovery rate can vary significantly from person to person. I was discharged around 16 hours after the operation. I had to stay overnight because of bad reaction to general anesthetic + I was a late in the day operation. I had about 57grams removed from my right inner upper quadrant and I had double stitching [underneath as well as on top]. It took about a week for the special bandages to fall off naturally. I was back doing 90 minute yoga class within a few days of the lumpectomy, so on one level it was a fast recovery BUT I needed some physiotherapy to restore my right arm mobility to about 95% of what it was - that was caused by the sentinel node biopsy though, not the lumpectomy. Many women I have spoken to say they experience more problems from the sentinel node biopsy rather than the lumpectomy. The lumpectomy is a fat removal essentially whereas the sentinel node biopsy is close to a lot of nerves and pathways and muscles so this is not unexpected.
Asked by anonymous
Learning About Breast CancerAsked by anonymous
Learning About Breast CancerIf your doctor is having you take Tamoxifin to prevent a new cancer, then it would be worth it because a new cancer my be stimulated by estrogen. Talk to your doctor about this and see what he/ she thinks. God bless you and good luck to you.
Comment 0No, triple negative means that your cancer is not a hormone sensitive cancer. Tamoxifen is a hormone blocking medication.
Comment 0Asked by anonymous
Learning About Breast CancerI would recommend sending lots of cards.
A friend of mine gave me a small gift after every procedure. This was something nice to look forward to each time. Call her often, listen to her fears and worries. It is a rough road but she will remember the sweet touches.
Tell her not to google triple negative. The info is outdated and scared me!!! I'm through 2/3 of my treatment and the little triple negative jerk is gone, chemo works well with it!
Send her cards each week or more often and write personal messages that you love her, youre thinking of her, etc. ...
Tell her not to google triple negative. The info is outdated and scared me!!! I'm through 2/3 of my treatment and the little triple negative jerk is gone, chemo works well with it!
Send her cards each week or more often and write personal messages that you love her, youre thinking of her, etc. also, little gifts help--like send her something each week or every 2 weeks or something. Comedy books (Tina fey's bossypants was funny, also the S*%! My dad says helped me when I couldn't sleep. Assuming she's having chemo, send her a few scarves and/or hats. Maybe a thin hat for sleeping.
Gossip, jokes, all that helps too. Don't make every correspondence about cancer bc she wants to feel normal too.
See if you can help set up a meal calendar among her friends/neighbors/colleagues. Cooked meals made a difference when I was too run down after chemo to cook.
Best wishes
Asked by anonymous
Learning About Breast CancerSorry to hear about your reaction. When I was on the "cocktail" of Taxotere. My Onc prescribed steroid pills to take the night before and the morning of my chemo. Then of course....steroids and Benadryl via IV. She told me this was due to so many women having a reaction to the Taxotere. Was this...
Sorry to hear about your reaction. When I was on the "cocktail" of Taxotere. My Onc prescribed steroid pills to take the night before and the morning of my chemo. Then of course....steroids and Benadryl via IV. She told me this was due to so many women having a reaction to the Taxotere. Was this done by your Onc? If you are not able to tolerate those two drugs...not to worry. There are more chemo drugs used. I completed my rounds of Adriamycin, Cytoxin, and Taxotere and then had my surgery. Afterwards due to extensive lymph node involvement I am on chemo again using the drugs Carboplatin and Gemcitabine. These two chemo drugs are used for later stages of breast cancer as well as lung and ovaian cancer. Talk to your Onc about your different options. Best wishes and prayers to you in your fight!
I am stage 1 and will soon be on cytoxin and taxotere as well. What kind of reaction did you have? Did you lose any hair or has it thinned?
2 comments 0Asked by anonymous
Learning About Breast CancerTo learn more about triple negative breast cancer, you can watch this short video: http://beyondtheshock.com/learn/5/6#5/6
Hope it helps.
Comment 0Asked by anonymous
Learning About Breast CancerNot at all. Triple negative is just one of three ways to identify a tumor and help determine your menu of treatment options. It means this tumor type tests negative for hormone receptors and HER-2. It is a way to pinpoint your cancer's "fingerprint" and personalize your treatment options.
Comment 0No, and don't google it bc all of the info is years old and treatments are better now! Mine was TN, but chemo kicked its butt, now I'm cancer free after surgery, and radiation is the last phase just in case. My surgeon (one of the best in country) said he'd be very surprised if it ever came...
No, and don't google it bc all of the info is years old and treatments are better now! Mine was TN, but chemo kicked its butt, now I'm cancer free after surgery, and radiation is the last phase just in case. My surgeon (one of the best in country) said he'd be very surprised if it ever came back after I asked about how i read that triple neg rumors are more likely to recur. Best wishes. You can beat this!
Asked by anonymous
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Beyond The Shock is a comprehensive online guide to understanding breast cancer.
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Beyond The Shock is a collaborative breast cancer guide created by the National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc. (NBCF) with the support of the finest medical experts, doctors, and researchers in the world. NBCF utilized ground-breaking technology and the resources of the global medical community to create an accessible platform for understanding a diagnosis of breast cancer.