Sister just diagnosed with stage iv

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SJM726
SJM726 Member Posts: 2
edited June 2014 in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Hello everyone. I do not have cancer but my sister was just diagnosed with stage iv breast cancer. It has spread to her spine. She does have something on her ovary but the dr is stating that it is not from her breast. She will be getting another MRI to see if it has spread to her brain. We are all devastated as we are a very close family. They will no longer be removing her breast. She will only be getting chemo. She came up negative for all three types of receptors. Does anyone out there have any positve words or experiences they can share that I can relay back to her? Thank you and my prayers go out to all.

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  • Cindyl
    Cindyl Member Posts: 1,194
    edited March 2012

    It's a very hard thing to hear, but you are in the right place.  There are many people here who can help you find good information and support.   Chemo is often very successful for  triple negative cancer.  Search this site for that term. You will see a lot about what it doesn't respond to, so I will repeat chemo is frequently quite a successful treatment.

    Best wishes to your family.

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  • christina1961
    christina1961 Member Posts: 736
    edited March 2012

    I am so sorry to hear about your sister. Triple negative can respond extremely well to chemo.

    There is also a forum on here for family members (although it is fine to post here, too  - just thinking you may get more responses) and also please check out tnbcfoundation.org.  There are several Stage IV patients who post on there about their treatments and there is also a section that gives specialists for tnbc by state.

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  • Moderators
    Moderators Member Posts: 25,912
    edited March 2012

    Hi SJM,

    We're so sorry to hear about your sister as well. But Cindyl is right -- you came to the right place for support for yourself and your sister.

    There are some really amazing inspirational stories on this forum, Biographies and Inspiring Stories. And as christina pointed out, our Caregivers, Family, Friends and Supporters forum is a great place for you to get the support you need, too.

    Hope you find this helpful, and best of luck to your sister!

    --The Mods

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  • SJM726
    SJM726 Member Posts: 2
    edited March 2012

    Thanks all for your direction. I am working my way to the appropriate places....good luck, best wishes and prayers to all.

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  • sweetbean
    sweetbean Member Posts: 1,931
    edited March 2012

    So sorry to hear about your sister!  I'd like to recommend two book - Anti Cancer: A New Way of Life by David Servan Schreiber and Life Over Cancer by Keith Block.  Both books cover diet and lifestyle strategies that complement conventional treatment, reduce side effects, and improve response to treatment. Keith Block also has a blog  - www.lifeovercancerblog.com.   Hope this is helpful - please keep us posted.

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  • mzsumthing
    mzsumthing Member Posts: 10
    edited March 2012

    My sister is Stage IV w/ bone, liver, and ascites (stomach). I can remember her current doctor telling us to remember that it takes approximately 7-12 years for statisical information to be monitored, results gathered, and published. Therefore, make sure you are receiving information from reputable sources and try not to become overwhelmed.

    There are a number of effective chemo's as other poster's have acknowledge. It is important to have an oncologist who is on top of their game. I never got a 'warm/fuzzy' from my sister's first oncologist and was thankful she decided to switch doctors on referral from her primary care physician. Love, love her current oncolgoist. He is compassionate, attentive, and very knowledgeable.  Plus, I love the practice has research and clinic trail department.

    I know how you must be feeling at the moment. Feel free to contact me directly if you have any other questions and/or just want to talk. 

    Also, there is a lot of valuable information here... the women share their experiences, best practices, etc. 

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