TNBC Positive outcomes ~ Encouraging Survival & Prognosis

Time is priceless and life is fragile, as many uncertainties can occur~

I do have a medical background however I am currently a stay at home mother of 5 children  ~ I was  diagnosed with TNBC and achieved a PCR following my bilateral mastectomy and only receiving 31% of my prescribed chemo treatments, (being  ultra sensitive) and responding so well I chose to investigate this disease and arrive all facts, long term studies and all positive medical perspectives available so I could help others.

We are all individuals and unique on this journey, however we are all also sisters in this disease, and I am determined to gather all positive studies and silver linings I can arrive with and share them to ease fear.
We are individuals and have many variables, however it is important to know the vast majority of TNBC is chemo sensitive and do have good out comes~

I have studied UK, Canada,US, and  San Antonio TNBC annual meeting as well many long term studies. Here is a synopsis and its sources below. It is imperative we remember TNBC is a very survivable disease and unlike Her 2 positive our risk margins mirror closely then drop considerably in 3 years. In 5 years I'm told by an oncologist the risk is a 2% over my entire life span (so divide 30-40 remaining years into 2% and it is almost untraceable. In light of those who don't consider TNBC to be cured, many oncologist would disagree. Your risk are greater to have a unforeseen life event (car accident for example) than a recurrence after 5 years.
 I also would like to add ,  I  have the privilege to personaly know three remarkably strong stage IV women who are thriving years later with stable disease, living a high quality life of normalcy and 21st century treatments and medications are enabling them to watch their children grow .

My findings and references are below


TNBC is very chemo-sensitive and the majority of patients confronted with and treated for TNBC will never relapse.
TNBCs had excellent outcomes even in the absence of adjuvant chemotherapy, and on reviewing the literature they found a 3% breast cancer specific death rate and  frequently carry a good prognosis
High radiosensitivy was suggested (7% of the patients had a complete response during  chemotherapy had no effect on the rate of recurrence or survival (6-year local recurrence-free survival, metastasis-free survival, and survival rates were 86%, 83%, and 83%, respectively)

references
The joint American Society of Clinical Oncology, and College of American Pathologist 

 Womens Health. 2013

Recent  analysis from a large number of TNBCs from 21 independent studies 

TNBC is more sensitive to chemotherapy. The rate of pathological complete remission (PCR) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy is higher than in other breast cancer subtypes

Although it sounds frightening, the fast growth rate means that standard chemotherapy's have a good chance of inducing remission.TNBC has a much better response to conventional chemotherapy than other breast cancer subtypes. It’s important to remember that most people with TNBC don’t have a metastatic recurrence.

The story of progress in beating TNBC is a testament to decades of painstaking work by researchers around the world. Nearly eight in 10 women diagnosed today will still be going strong ten years later, compared to around half that number back in the 1970s.

The risk of recurrence drops significantly in 3 years, when a woman survives five years without a recurrence, her chances of survival are extremely high.. A woman who has been successfully
treated for TNBC and is disease-free 5 or more years has almost no risk of having the cancer come back. 
  This is good news for five-year survivors and makes this milestone especially important for women diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer.  
I think the message is triple negative breast cancer accounts for between 10 to 15 percent of all breast cancers. We haven't solved this problem yet, but it's also not a death sentence. The majority of women with triple negative breast cancers are -- thankfully -- cured and survive. Triple negative cancer is something that if it has not come back by the five-year mark, you are almost certainly are cured of it. 

references
TNBCF co-founder and executive director Hayley Dinerman 


Most women with triple-negative breast cancer never have a metastatic recurrence or a new cancer.
After 3 years the chance of recurrence of TNBC is reduced by 50%.
 With each year after the 3 year mark the chance of recurrence is reduced by an additional 10%-15%.
 Long term survivors (longer than 5 years) have almost a 0% rate that the disease will recur. With other breast cancers the recurrence rate climbs after the first 5 years.

One 2013 study reported that women with stage III triple negative disease are vulnerable to metastasis during the first two to five years after diagnosis. The cumulative incidence of  metastases at five years was 9.6% among patients with stage III disease, compared to 2.8% for stage I and 4.6% for stage II.
(In other words you have a 90.6% to not have metastasis)

references 
 American Society of Clinical Oncology 
SABCS

Triple-negative breast cancer has caught the attention of major researchers throughout the world, which is a great thing—it means that we are learning more and more about how to prevent and treat this illness

 let’s look at some of the data and what they mean. And rather than simply accepting the gloomy picture that is often presented, let’s approach this in the enterprising spirit of yeah, but….

It is true that hormone-negative breast cancers can be more aggressive than hormone-positive. But the majority of women who get the disease survive.

It is true that most cases of recurrence come within the first three years.But that means that those who hit five years are looking at an excellent prognosis. A better long-term prognosis, in fact, than those with hormone-positive.

It is true that triple-negative is more likely to have spread to the lymph nodes. But many women with TNBC have no positive nodes—and, if they do, they still beat the disease and survive.

Here are more positives:

Your tumor responds better to chemotherapy than tumors that are estrogen and progesterone positive. Chemo works better on you.

If you remain disease free for four or more years the chances are your cancer will not EVER return.

You do not have to take endocrine therapy drugs that have a whole host of side effects that are not pleasant.

And there is emerging research every day into this type of breast cancer that is making the “poor prognosis” moniker a thing of the past.

The following is an up to the minute report on the latest trends and breakthroughs in Triple Negative treatment. You will see that there is a tremendous amount of HOPE.

Please do not despair with this diagnosis. It CAN be beaten. 

Studies have demonstrated that triple negative disease exhibits a unique recurrence pattern and that not only is there a very sharp decline in recurrence risk of triple negative disease after the fourth year post-diagnosis, but that the risk of distant recurrence falls to absolute zero! - unheard of in any other type of breast cancer - from five years and after (and is in any event extremely small, almost negligible, even from five years forward), and in addition, although local recurrence is a risk factor for later distant recurrence among women with all other types of breast carcinomas, this does NOT hold true for triple-negative tumors it was found that any local recurrence in triple negative disease is not associated with increased metastatic risk. 

reference

Oncology  Investigators 

No Surrender Breast Cancer Foundation

I have learned to turn statistics around and to always have a positive perspective. For example, when research says that 20 percent of the women with triple negative died in a particular study, I turn this around and realize that 80 percent of the women survived. And if, in another study, a triple-negative woman faces twice the risk increased risk of death compared with hormone-positive, I look at the fact that the difference is between a 10 percent risk of and a 20 percent risk. And, while they are decreased odds , they still mean an 80 percent chance of not dying. Even starting with a poorer prognosis, the odds can still be with you. TNBC is a very survivable disease and has many blessings associated such as being considered cured and not looking over our shoulders in 5 years. Personality I feel everyday I'm cancer free I am already cured,however I will breath another sigh of relief at my 3 year anniversary milestone.

God has blessed me and I pray for you and your family to have many blessings also~

I hope this has helped ease some doubts and fears and help place a positive outlook on your journeys to concur TNBC!

www.gofundme.com/I-will-beat-cancer

Most women with triple-negative breast cancer never have a metastatic recurrence or a new cancer.
Most women with triple-negative breast cancer never have a metastatic recurrence or a new cancer.