Just diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer

In my case I was recommended 4 bouts of chemo. It was on a 3 weekly basis. After my second chemo and very close to my third chemo, I collapsed and ended up in hospital fir 5?days. I then decided not to have any more chemo. Mine was called the Red Devil and I genuinely thought this was going to kill me. My sons, particularly, tge oldest, was totally against me having chemo and it turns out he was right. I was then put on Anastrozole , which I had to come off cos of side effects, I’m now on exemestane. I did radiotherapy for 5 days. You have to do what suits you. I have taken my oncologist off my record cos I don’t trust him. He loved the sound of his own voice but hated to
Listen. Make sure you are 100% sure and confident in you medical team. My breast care nurses and my surgeon in York hospital were my biggest supporters and nurses continue to support me. Hope all goes well for you. I’m 2 1/2 years over when I found my lump. Xx

Hello @sschafer70 there are two discussions, that I hope you can look up. Where there are others in your same situation, the first is in direct answer to your question regarding triple negative breast cancer which is very different from the unfortunate situation Rosa had.
Triple negative breast cancer, what treatments are you having?
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/triple-negative-breast-cancer/
The second and I am not sure if I can get the link without losing this post is called newbie, and scared. It is a very active conversation with people just like you, who were just diagnosed.
Welcome to connect where you can connect with others who are going through or have gone through what you are, and are here to share.
When is your MRI scheduled? Have they given you any indication of treatments plans yet?

Hello @auntieoak
I had been reading the one you suggested.
I just scheduled the MRI for Friday morning, and the doctor said that the treatment plan depended on the size of the tumor and if lymph nodes are involved, there will be surgery, but the chemo and possibly immunotherapy she said is also something that might come up. To be honest, after I read about the immunotherapy and that it can sometimes cause your immune system to attack your own organs, I am not really comfortable with that. I do tend to go for a more homeopathic when appropriate (surgery is a must), but I was reading about immune boosters that are natural and have started taking them this morning.

Hi @sschafer70 I was diagnosed with TMBC 3 years ago.

@auntieoakley is right in that it's a different beast than what most people have.

On my first ultrasound, 6/20/20 I had three tumors in my right breast only, no lymph node activity - by the first week of August the cancer had spread to lymph nodes,right chest wall, and skin. Triple negative breast cancer is a very aggressive, very fast moving cancer that can only be fought with a few tools: traditional chemotherapy, radiation, surgery and immunotherapy.

I started all those treatments as soon as I could, because we were working fast to make sure that the cancer did not get into my bloodstream and then become metastatic.

I was 38 years old and had just had a baby 4 months before so I was very eager to not go to stage 4, and stay at the stage 3B that I was when I began chemotherapy.

I did eight rounds of A/C (once every 2 weeks about 4 hours),and then 12 rounds of Taxaol every week.

I took the immunotherapy keytruda for a year every 3 weeks, and it did burn out my thyroid so I take thyroid medicine now to stabilize that. There are actually some studies that show if you do have your immune system go against you while you're on immunotherapy your chances of surviving the cancer you have go up so I took it as a small comfort.

I also did 7 weeks of radiation after my mastectomy, and I did suffer side effects from that as well, but the fact that I'm alive 3 years later and I can be with my 3-year-old son everyday as well worth it.

It's so terrible getting this diagnosis I'm so sorry you have to go through it.

As for natural help - lots of fruits and veggies, long walks as I could, fasting every night for at least 13 hours between last food and breakfast, *and* fasting day before/during chemo to minimize side effects were the most helpful for me.

I got the same diagnosis 5/2021. My tumor was stage one with no lymph node involvement. I was 72, so my Drs did not give me red devil. They did prescribe CMF and this turned out to be an error. I received it for 16 weeks 1/3weeks. It did not shrink the tumor much, so after surgery I needed another treatment. They were going to give me Zeloda and that would not have been well advised, as I found after consulting with three other major hospitals. I ended up having to have a second round of chemo taxol/carboplatin for 12 weeks 1/week. I changed my care to another hospital and just had a good check up.
I was cautioned not to boost my immune system once I started chemo. They are trying to slow cell growth, so boosting your system could interfere. Your Dr may feel differently. Very best of luck and don’t hesitate to get a second or third opinion, if something does not seem right.

I understand how having the right doctor can be so helpful...I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when I was 14 months old and have seen doctors all my life and have a 6th sense about them at this point. Although I have just met my oncologist I do trust her (of course I have been looking stuff up on my own as well)...I so appreciate all the responses that everyone has given me! From the mammogram and biopsied, I have a 9mm tumor in my right breast...on the outer side so I am hopeful! While I do tend to go to the more natural remedies, I do know that there are things that they just cannot treat...so I am kind of different about how I take care of myself 🙂

I was diagnosed with triple negative in June of this year. I had a mastectomy on the affected side and now I am done. When they first told me that, I thought I was being under-treated. However, my tumor was only 0.5 cm (=5 mm) and 4 lymph nodes were all clear. I'm about to turn 68. They told me that chemo would likely do more harm than good. The more time I've had to consider this, the more I think they are right. They told me about such things as heart damage and other things that the chemo can cause. I've concluded that the choice is between putting poison in my body now to try to kill any stray cancer cells that may cause a recurrence, or wait and see if I get a recurrence (which I very well may not) and then decide whether to put the poison in my body to try to kill it. They are going to see me every 3 months for 5 years to keep an eye out for any signs of its return.

There are risks both ways, of course, but I don't think I would take chemo if they offered it to me now. My tumor was small and showed no signs of spreading outside of the area in the breast where it began. My breast is now gone and the cancer went with it. I don't have any of the known hereditary risks. I did go for a second opinion which was an absurdity. (Though I'm still waiting for the a report on a second evaluation of the pathology slide which might be interesting.) The oncologist I spoke with spent most of the session explaining that they could get sued if they did chemo in a plan that didn't adhere to the NCCN guidelines (no chemo for tumors 5 mm and under). I read her note on the visit and she didn't even get my demographics correct.

So I'm resuming more or less normal life 3+ months after diagnosis. I know I am extraordinarily fortunate to be able to say this and maybe that good luck won't last. I am not making an argument against chemo in general. For some people, it is their only chance. Just wanted to share this to assure others that triple negative doesn't always mean horrible chemo is necessary.

I had TNBC stage 2a. It was 3 treatments of fec and 3 of taxol. Make sure you stay hydrated during your treatments and after . Your diet sounds good for helping you during treatment. My doctor said stay away from processed food. I like fruit but sometimes had to leave out citrus it upset my stomach and would help me to get mouth sores. Baking soda and salt in water helps with that. I ate milder foods because chemo can affect the lining of your digestive tract.
The red devil I did okay with I found the taxol a little more difficult. I ran a fever with it but was okay just needed to keep hydrated. Our bodies are all different but I am glad my general physician told me to take care of my body to get ready for treatment so I ate a lot of berries and whole foods and walked.
If I didn't feel like exercising during treatment I tried to keep busy around our home and would walk outside at times.
Stage 1 is considered early stage and I think they generally use chemotherapy from stage 1 on because of its aggressive nature. I had radiotherapy because my tumor was large and close to the chest wall. Ask your team of doctors if you have any questions . The team in my case was the oncologist , chemo nurses, oncology pharmacist, and eventually surgeon. and radiologist. It is a lot to process at first but you will get used to a sort of routine with it. Enjoy your friends and family and soon this will be behind you. I am a little past 2 years post treatment. Good luck on your journey.

I wasn't triple negative. I was HERplus though. I had a year of chemo with Herceptin and Taxol. The Taxol made me so sick I couldn't get out of bed for 2 weeks until it was adjusted. I also had a lumpectomy and radiation every day for 6 weeks.
Having to go through all that was no fun. I got neuropathy in my feet from the Taxol and can't drive any longer . I'm 82 now and doing fine. I ended the chemo about 2 years ago.
The treatment at the cancer center hooked up to the IV was actually a nice experience.I sat in a lounging chair covered in a warm blanket. They served me juices and crackers. I read a book and then it was over until the next week. I never dreaded it.
During radiation the technicions were friendly and welcoming. We all rejoiced when they saw some hair coming back on my bald head.
Both the chemo center and radiation center gave me certificates of congratulations for getting through the treatment.