Forum Discussion

RosaPink's avatar
RosaPink
Member
6 years ago

Triple Negative Breast Cancer

Hello,

I am a healthy (I thought) 69 year old woman and I feel as if I could live forever… I enjoy my life, am reasonably fit and very active – I swim, go on really pleasant bush walks with my partner, ride my bike occasionally, love to potter in the garden…. I also eat well and am conscientious about my diet but not fanatical. I must admit I maybe indulge in a little too much wine. Life is good!

But suddenly, out of the blue comes a diagnosis. Triple Negative Breast Cancer, Grade 3, but luckily found early. Those of you reading this will know what a mind-numbing shock this is.

And with this comes the beginning of huge decision making.

So, I have read as much about my cancer as I can..I learn it is a particularly aggressive little nasty (but, as I said earlier…luckily for me caught early), only 15 to 20% of people with breast cancer actually get this type… the amount of research is also less than for the more common hormone adaptive cancer and  metastasis tend to occur sooner rather than later.

I am also reading as much as I can about how to strengthen my immune system eg diet, supplements, food regimes etc. There is a lot of information out there, and often it is contradictory.

My initial decision was for a lumpectomy, with radiation, as opposed to a mastectomy without radiation. First hurdle jumped….clear margins around the tumor and 4 lymph nodes removed with no cancer. A good result!

But the chemo question still looms. The pros and cons, the weighing up of my evidence (biopsy, surgery etc), can I take the risk, the odds%% - it’s like a gamble – there is so much speculation involved. Did some cancer cells escape before the tumor was removed?….absolutely impossible to know.

I’d appreciate hearing from someone who has faced this diagnosis and have a chance to share the experience and hear how someone else tackled this situation.


treatment-decisions
triple-negative-breast-cancer
  • kitkatb's avatar
    kitkatb
    Member
    6 years ago
    Hi @RosaPink   So sorry you have to be on this forum but welcome and as others have said it is full of warm people who just get what you are going through.
    I was also diagnosed grade 3  TNBC last year ( although after saying that I was actually found hormone positive by just 1 % so still classified as Triple Negative ) 
    It isn't an easy question you ask as to whether you have chemo or not. ( It is a question bought up a fair bit on this forum though) But really only you can answer that question guided by your medical teams expertise and your own beliefs and whether you have any other ongoing health issues.  There is no right or wrong answer but I guess ultimately we have to live with the decisions we make and although we don't like to think of recurrence that little sucker is always there in the periphery. 
    I was not given the option really as they said grade 3 TNBC was an automatic chemo for me.  Everyone is different but because of the higher risk of recurrence I was prepared to throw the kitchen sink at it with no regrets and to be honest if I was given the choice it would have worried me about whether any stray cells would have escaped. ( I think I would have had nightmares about What If !!  )
    Good luck with your decision and if you have any questions or just need to vent we are all here.  Big hugs  xo
  • kmakm's avatar
    kmakm
    Member
    6 years ago
    Hi @RosaPink. Welcome to the forum. I hope you find it to be as warm and helpful as I have.

    I had ER+ BC, and my diagnosis didn't automatically warrant chemotherapy. However for a variety of reasons (read my bio) it was on the table. My doctors suggested I do a genomic test. That's where they look at the specifics of your cancer to assess the likelihood of recurrence/spread. The one that is used in triple neg is called MammaPrint. These tests are not on Medicare or covered by private health insurance and so cost several thousand dollars. If you can manage the price, perhaps you coukd ask your oncologist if they think it would be useful.

    To chemo or not is a question that comes up a lot here. Find out what chemotherapy regime you'd be having, and make yourself aware of the risk factors and side effects. If you do a genomic test you'll be clear if it's warranted and the decision is a no brainer. But if you don't, then for me it comes down to the clincher question: if I don't have chemo and my cancer comes back, will I be tortured by the knowledge that I chose not to have chemo?

    There is no right or wrong. It's a perfectly legitimate decision to not have chemo. It's all about knowing yourself and what your tolerances for the road not taken are. No regrets, either way.

    All the very best, and please continue to throw out the questions and ponderings. This is a great hive mind! Big hug, K xox
  • jennyss's avatar
    jennyss
    Member
    6 years ago
    Dear @RosaPink, other network members I am sure will jump in with information and experience with triple neg breast cancer. I was a 'positive' gal: at first I thought that 'positive' meant bad! Have a look at the great post and discussion on page 2, '8 year clearance this week after triple neg recurrance'.
    Best wishes for your decisions and treatment