Triple Negative Breast Cancer and Chemotherapy

Thanks to all of you..believe me I am NOT about to give up or lose hope. I have kids to raise and plenty of b-ball to watch.

I kindof agree w/ the good TN/ bad TN theory...I was told today that I do infact have an extremely aggressive cancer. It has begun to grow in less than 5 months. But the good news is we found it. Now I just gotta get rid of it.

My onc wants to start chemo Friday butr I asked him to wait until next week, so I could have the weekend w/ my boys before I head into battle again. Ideally he wants me in a PARP trial for olaparib..As I was checking out he called me to the hall. A phone call had come in  and there will be a trial here April 13th. So the info was being faxed over..So now I wait to see if I meet the critera to get in. THAN we have to decide if we gamble and wait a month..He wants to make sure that starting the chemo won't kick me out of the trial.

Lots to think over..

Hey Titan I forgot to tell you, I have been following Ohio state..

Yes, Titan I am sure this is stage 4. It states it on my path report and my onc stated that also. Was one of the questions I asked right off the bat. On the 1st pet scan before surgery in july 09, none of these nodes lit up. That internal mammary node worries me. It is located right behind my rib by my lungs. Thank God the surgeon was able to grab one of the nodes from the supraclavular, that hurts bad enough.

I agree with you, I know the PARP is ideal but I am so scared to wait..It's already been a month since the pet and now another month. What if it hits my lung while I am waiting and keeps me from getting in the trial..OH MAN!!!  Lots of prayers..lots of prayers..

Kelley - mine was less than a cm, too, and I was in a gray area for chemo and had the option of doing it.  That said, mine was grade 3 so I went ahead and did TC x4.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Sherri 

Kelley - let me know what the second doctor says.  My onc said the absolute benefit to me was 3-5%. I figured even if the change for the better wasn't huge, I might as well do it so I didn't have any regrets down the road.  I did quite well on the chemo.  Losing my hair was the hardest but I got some great wigs and have had fun with trying different hair styles.  I didn't lose my eye lashes or brows (they just thinned a bit).  I finished chemo on Feb. 8th. If you have any specific questions, feel free to send me a private message anytime. 

Sherri 

batoday...yes...tnbc can be scary...but if you read here chemo works very well on tn cancers...and you are lucky to get it at an early stage....that is a good thing!  Recurrence rate is higher in the first couple of years but then it goes down to less than er-pr positive cancers...I'm just one year out but..I feel great....I watch for anything different...but at the same time don't really worry that much about it..I don't have time..I have a job, kids, and living my life and having fun...don't get too down about it....once you get through your treatments and get out of the cancer thing a bit you will slowly stop thinking about it so much,, I come on here because I have met alot of women that have become great friends..even though I haven't met them in person,..we have all gone through alot together and it has helped immensely...

Please..don't worry about the what ifs..chance are you will become a very old lady and forget that this crap ever happened!

Titan and Sugar, thanks for staying on here to encourage people. It is so scary and you both have such great ways of telling the truth and helping it seem more manageable.

batoday-my mother had triple negative, seven years ago, and was in your area, with only a 1% boost from chemo. She was 57 at the time and had other medical conditions.

She did not have chemo, only radiation after her lumpectomy. She is alive and well.  I think a second opinion is very wise, even a third if you need it. I'm with Sugar, I was going to do the chemo if it gave me any increase in survival stat, no matter if it was small. Mine was much larger b/c my cancer was grade 3 and in one lymph node. Easier choice for me.  No matter what you choose, just be at peace with it and don't second guess yourself.

Heidi..how did your scan go?  Remember you are the guinea pig!

Thanks Sherry!

Kelley - there is a TC thread on this website that you might want to check out.  I visited it regularly when I was going through TC and still check into it now.  It's called "Anyone on just Taxotere and Cytoxan" or something along those lines.  I can send you the link if you want, just let me know.

Good luck!

Sherri 

Hi drsstglover!

Welcome to our little group of TNBC people. Despite the label, we are all pretty positive thinkers in here!

Still s*cks though...

violet7,

No, I don't think you are necessarily "screwed", though I'm sure it feels that way. It just means that (for all of us) finding mets earlier via scans has proven not to change outcome. In other words, whether mets are found "earlier or later" does not affect OS. That is not the same as saying "this cancer is going to kill you". It means that what will happen is going to happen: a person could progress rapidly OR  live many more years with "chronic" cancer.

Don't despair. Hearing that "Stage 3" description was a real shock but remember---the staging process is becoming somewhat obsolete. Newer medicine is pointing towards the biology of the tumor, not the size or even the lymph node status. TNBC is funky where lymph nodes are concerned. Though it sure feels better to be node free, NOT being node free isn't necessarily an indicator of potential recurrence. It's a crap shoot for all of us.

If there's one thing I've learned since my diagnosis it's that there are still a lot of questions to be answered wrt TNBC. Your onc is doing his best, but treating it is as much an art as a science. You are having a bad day, like we all do from time to time. Remind yourself of that because it's normal and to be expected.

In my TNBC and Life thread I mentioned my MSK surgeon referring to me as Stage 1, not 2a as I consider myself based on tumor size. When asked he said it was as above, staging categories are somewhat subjective and tumor physiology is where the real prognosis lies.

I think, in your shoes, I'd still think of myself as 2b based on your tumor size, node status and *current* staging practices. But that doesn't mean your prognosis doesn't have to be worse because you are still early stage and very treatable. I'd probably seek a second opinion if your onc is unsure about additional meds.

I hope this helps you to feel better. We all get sad at times thinking about our kids, grandkids,and all the other things we want to see before we graduate from life, whatever the cause.

Pick yourself back up, dust yourself off, and go do something fun/distracting.

Thank you Heidi and Luah...you two are always a calming voice(s)

Like you said...you just never know....everyone has their sad moments....breast cancer sucks..but...I really think that the farther you get away from it and feeling good..well...it does get better...My SIL is two years out but still has a couple of issues..she said that sometimes this cancer rears its ugly head in her mind..I said just push it back..get the hell out of my head and my body...!  Easier said than done I know..but I think you have to believe you will be OK...and if not..well deal with it when the time comes...right NOW..you are all doing OK..enjoy it! 

Believe me Luah you won't be on your own...every 3 months to see your onc...mammos, blood tests...the treatment may be over but visits to the onc are not...and that is a good thing..!!!   Plus YOU know your own body...thinking back, before I was diagnosed...I really think that I should have known that something just wasn't right..I put it off to premenopause....I just know if I start feeling that way again that something is wrong...

You know, I think this is the post-chemo freak out that everyone talks about.  It really took by surprise because I generally have a fairly positive frame of mind, amd not an unnaturally positive view either - realistic, but hopeful.  Thank you all so much for talking me down.  You are right.  And I'll go ahead and stick with the 2b, although I have seen a couple of places where having a positive sentinel node puts you at 3, I've seen more 1 positive node w/ a 2 1/2 cm tumor is closer to 2b.  I was hoping to slip under the bar to a 2a lol.  I have to remind myself of all the positive things the onc has said as well, for instance that the cancer has a greater chance of not coming back than of coming back.  It is a crap shoot, like you say, hhfheidi.  And today it's all good as far as I can tell.  So <deep breath>  thank you guys so much.  And Luah, chemosabe, you are not alone.  We are here for you.