Stage 1A, grade 3, tripple negative

Darobski43

My wife was recently diagnosed with stage 1A, grade3 and triple negative breast cancer. Just wondering if there is anyone out there with a similar diagnosis. If so what was your treatment course. We are headed out to MD Anderson Monday to get treatment. Any help would be great. We were happy it was caught early but now we are super scared about the triple negative. Any advice?

thanks

jarris77

I was diagnosed with stage 1 triple negative, but grade 2. I had taxotere and cytoxan, 4 treatments, one every 3 weeks. I was lucky and had very minor side effects. Wishing you the best. BTW, my tumor was 1.7 cm.

littleblueflowers

I had a similar diagnosis. Just finishing up chemo and getting ready for radiation, Triple Negative breast cancer is scary in many ways, but there are positives. One big one is that it responds very very well to chemotherapy.It grows agressivly, but dies easily. Be as agressive in fighting it as you can, and your odds drastically improve. There are many tool to fight it with, use them all!

Darobski43

Thank you. Hope you are doing fine! Thanks for the well wishes.

Peabrain

My diagnosis was similar. I really appreciated this article in evaluating how to put everything into perspective:

http://www.healthline.com/health/triple-negative-b...

I had surgery first, and just started chemo. My treatment regimen will be 4 AC treatments spaced every other week (aka dose dense) and then 12 weekly Taxotere/Carboplatin treatments. No radiation.

The good thing about triple negative is that you blast it with chemo and then you're done. No long term drugs.

Other thoughts:

Talk to your medical providers about genetic testing. Talk to an oncologist before you schedule surgery. If it looks like she can go with a lumpectomy, ask about IORT radiation.

In some ways, you are at the worst part now. Be gentle with each other.

Marls53

Hi from Aussie Land - I was just diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer - have had surgery to remove tumour and sentinel node - this is second time around for me 11 1/2 years post the last triple negative breast cancer in my other breast - last time I had surgery, 4 months of chemo and 6 weeks of radiation so thought all in the clear. Doc says this is a NEW cancer but of the same triple negative makeup! Looking at doing the gene test to see if I have the BRACA Gene but at this stage looking at chemo starting in 2 weeks for 4 months and again 6 weeks of radiation. Hopefully knock this on the head once and for all - be gone you bad bad thng! Any one had a similar diagnosis with 2 TN's?

Moderators

Hi Marls53 ! Darn, we are so sorry that you are here, and going through treatment again. We are all here for you, and eager to hear how things go.

from the Mods

breastcancerhusband

Hi Darobski43

Sorry to hear about your wife. Mine was also diagnosed with TNBC last year. Stage 2A, 2.3cm tumor, no nodes. Went through surgery and chemo, and she was also pregnant at the time! Happy to say she is out the other end and doing well.

The normal treatment course is surgery first to remove the tumor. Then she will have adjuvent therapy which is chemotherapy. The drug combinations vary a little bit, my wife had 4 round of FEC spaced 3 weeks apart then 12 weeks of Taxol. During surgery they will check her lymph nodes for any sign of cancer normally using a process called sentinel node biopsy. In recent years there has been a move to do chemo first and then surgery. Depending on the type or surgery (full MX or lumpectomy) and if lymph nodes are involved she may or may not have radiotherapy.

The triple negative bit is scary if you read some of the rubbish on the internet and in the media. If caught early (like your wife's has been) most recent studies are showing similar survival rates for TNBC patients. And the facts are MOST patients survive and get through this.

The chemo drug regimes are fully optimized now and although TNBC is more aggressive it has the best response to chemotherapy. In some cases TNBC patients have immune responses against their tumors.

I wish your wife all the very best. If you need to off-load the ladies and other guys on this site are great. And feel free to drop me a message.

Thoughts and prayers to you and your wife

Carol99

hello, I had the same dx, double bmx in 2013, 4 rounds AC, every other week. Had a complication with infection so it wasn't 3 week one round. Nuelasta shot too keep white cell count up so I kept working on my off weeks.

Chemo is lousy, be good to yourselves, my Dr. said my risk of reoccurrence is now below 10%.

Best of luck