Triple Negative - QUESTION

Deniset717,

You may never know what, if anything, caused your breast cancer.  I had all my old fillings replaced, as did my three sisters, but only I got sick, and that was years later.  One mercury amalgam filling won't take the blame for this.  I had no family history of breast cancer either.  Sometimes, shit just happens and you are the one in eight who gets breast cancer with no warning.  There is no obvious link between anything and breast cancer unless you have a family history.  The thing to do is to do your research and get the right treatment and look forward because you CAN live beyond this.  That should be your focus.  Looking inward to blame yourself is not productive because you are not to blame.  Not one of us asked for this, and you did not either.

Good luck to you.  Get out there and kick some butt on this thing.  I am just now four years out and life is good.

Deniset717

I don't know that term, but I lost four of fourteen axillary lymph nodes taken.  I also lost my sentinel node, or the dissection of the axillary nodes would never have happened.

I also have had a bit of lymphedema after.  But I was told that would be 50/50 after taking so many lymph nodes.  When I noticed it, I got on it, as anyone should.  I was told I didn't get there quite fast enough.  It was not reversible.  But I got checked out and wrapped up and taught what to do.  I've worn my sleeve for a few years while going about my business.  And the swelling has actually disappeared.  I wear my sleeve at work and at home and everytime on a plane, and nothing else is necessary just now.  If it isn't an issue that is great in my mind.  I still see my lymphedema therapist twice a year for measurements and such, but I don't need to do exercizes every day to keep the swelling down. 

Hi Deniset717,

I was diagnosed at 39 with TNBC.  No family history, BRCA neg, no smoking, mostly healthy diet, etc.  No dental filling replacements, no root canals.

Don't go crazy asking why.  Bottom line is, nobody knows exactly why (yet).  I've done a lot of reading and research since I was diagnosed, and have never found any legitimate evidence that dental issues or stress have any causal relationship to breast cancer, but if you have, can you please share your source?

ETA - I forgot to add, I did have LVI (lymphovascular invasion) and 9 nodes removed (suspicious looking, matted and tangled but considered negative).

DeniseT717:

First and foremost, remember that you can survive TNBC.  I've come across a 29 year survivor on here, and another lady who is at 27 years and her daughter is at 8 years.

When I found out that the bc was TNBC, I also wanted to hear from others on what they thought had caused it.  I was hoping for a common theme amongst us.  I'm very similar to you and some others that have posted here; no family history of it, weight regarded as normal, etc.  I was 43 at DX, and all family members are healthy and my great grandma lived to be 91 -- and that is considered a very long life expectancy in those days!

I was suspicious of everything after my TNBC diagnosis.  I have considered having my old silver filings replaced.  I had some silver fillings replaced over 20 years ago.  I have only 2 small ones left, but I can't remember why the dentist decided to leave them.

Here is a very interesting link regarding Cancer Genetics.  http://www.wdv.com/Cancer/Research/index.html

To understand it fully, click inside each icon to see what examples it gives.  These researchers believe it takes 5-10 different instances to develop a cancer cell line, so any one thing shouldn't do it, but a nubmer of things over time, according to this.  You can read it and see what you think.  I believe you can click into each area 2 times to keep extracting more info.

Have you thought about cleaning chemicals? I used to clean like crazy, and that is absorbed through the skin.  So I thought of that, since my bc was on the right, and I am right handed.  To be safe, I switched to all chemical friendlier cleaners.  I switched deodorant and toothpaste, and I switched shampoo, lotion and shaving cream to all organic.  I changed old teflon coated pots and pans to stainless steel.  I stopped using the microwave, I stopped Diet Coke and Coffee, and switched to a 100% organic diet. Then I added in 90 minutes of exercise a day.  Whew!  I'm exhausted just thinking about all this.  ) I got rid of my laptop and went to a Desktop Computer.  And I stopped talking on the cell phone at home, with a Panasonic Link2Cell phone.  It works via bluetooth technology, so when someone calls the cell phone, I use a regular phone to talk to them. Here is the link to them on Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-KX-TG7622B-Bluetooth-Cordless-Handsets/dp/B004NBZDTA

But much like you, I ask people what they think caused theirs.  Some people could be reluctant to say or they might appear defensive and say "it's nothing we did", and I don't mean to imply it's something we caused, because nobody wants to feel that way.  I certainly don't want to think I caused this nightmare. But the fact is, many of us are searching for answers. Especially in the beginning as we move from denial to acceptance.  It's a natural process to want to know "how did I get this" and also in part, because we want to avoid anything we think could have caused this.

I do know many TNBC survivors who feel it is one thing or another and now take measures to not interract with what things they think caused it. I read an article that stated Robin Roberts, Anchor for Good Morning America thinks hers was induced by eating too much red meat and soup from cans.  I am glad she mentioned that, as I started researching canned foods, and found out that items in cans contain not only excessive amounts of sodium, but also chemicals from the can. So thanks to Robin, I no longer eat anything at all that comes in a can.  I'm glad she went public and made a statement on what she felt happened.

For me, I think it was excessive stress the previous 3 years, plus Diet Coke, plus Coffee, plus sweets and maybe a bunch of chemicals from the cleaners.  So I 100% eliminated Diet Coke and Coffee. Coffee also is on California's Prop 65 notification list of known carcinogenics.  Which I did not know until I started researching it. 

Also some Oncologists ran their own studies of women with TNBC and Vitamin D3 deficiency, and discovered an that the majority of their TNBC patients were deficient in vitamin D3. I read that and had mine checked in August, and I was at 12.  Normal is 30-100 and my doctor wants me to be at 67.  There is a trend now with primary care physicians checking vitamin D levels, and now there are more studies to suggest a link between that and breast cancer.

Have a great day!

- Cancer Genetics Link