triple negative

So, I’ve shared that the specific breast cancer I have is labeled Triple Negative. But, I’ve also said don’t google it. Because, it’s scary. I did find this great explanation for it, though. From our new friends at the CDC! (Imagine I said friends at the CDC in 2019 - haha).

Triple-negative breast cancer is a kind of breast cancer that does not have any of the receptors that are commonly found in breast cancer.

Think of cancer cells as a house. The front door may have three kinds of locks, called receptors—

One is for the female hormone

One is for the female hormone

One is a protein called human epidermal growth factor

If your cancer has any of these three locks, doctors have a few keys (like hormone therapy or other drugs) they can use to help destroy the cancer cells.

But if you have triple-negative breast cancer, it means those three locks aren’t there. So doctors have fewer keys for treatment. Fortunately, chemotherapy is still an effective option.

Think of a cancer cell as a house. To get inside to destroy the cancer, we must bypass three locks on the front door: estrogen, progesterone, and HER2.

If your cancer tests positive for these three locks, which are known as receptors, then doctors have a few keys they can use to get inside the cell to destroy it.

If you have triple-negative breast cancer, those locks aren't there. So the keys doctors usually use won't work. But chemotherapy is still an effective option.

So, there ya have it. Chemo is my best key to break into this tumor house and burn it to the ground. Which, let’s be honest, fucking sucks. Recurrence is high in TNBC, but a little lower rate for me specifically since I don’t have the genetic markers like BRCA. I still plan to be aggressive af to ensure I continue living my best life without chemo ever again after these six months.