Radiotherapy

Radiotherapy is the use of high-energy rays, usually x-rays and similar rays (such as electrons) to treat disease. It works by destroying cancer cells in the area that's treated.

Although normal cells can also be damaged by radiotherapy, they can usually repair themselves, but cancer cells can’t.

Radiotherapy is always carefully planned so that it avoids as much healthy tissue as possible. However, there will always be some healthy tissue that’s affected by the treatment and this will cause side effects.

Link for side effects: http://www.macmillan.org.uk/Cancerinformation/Cancertreatment/Treatmenttypes/Radiotherapy/Sideeffects/General.aspx

I've just completed week one of radiotherapy (started 19 May 2014 - 4 days after my last chemo cycle finished)and only have four days this week (thank you bank holiday). I have a review meeting every Tuesday to discuss any problems I may be experiencing.

I have a carpark permit which means I do not have to pay for parking during treatment.

I had two NHS tattoos a week or two after my last chemotherapy cycle finished, they are proper tattoos and the size of a blackhead. They act as  markers for the beam, so the coverage over the area is consistent. 

Google images

Most people waiting for their treatment are men diagnosed with prostate cancer and all seem to share the same taste in stripy dressing gowns. 

Last year I completed a Level 4 Certificate in Cancer Care with Staffordshire university and elected prostate cancer as one of my modules, the point being I know the lingo.

So what does radiotherapy entail?

I just take my top off and lie down, whilst they take all the measurements to ensure maximum coverage. I have both arms raised at this point. The room is freezing and if it's not bad enough getting the puppies out, then there is the added embarrassment of having your nipples on stalks, oh jeez (Although I am incredibly lucky to have found the aggressive little ****er early and still have a boob and nipple). I actually don't think I could count the amount of people who have seen my boobs since last September!

I have 3 weeks of general radiotherapy to the area and then 1 week of targeted, which will be the area where the tumour was removed. 

I had to wait for 30 minutes this morning as the machines regularly break down and are regularly serviced.

I have my left arm raised and supported by a brace and stay still whilst the machine moves from left to right. The whole process takes between 10-15 minutes.

I have an aloe vera plant to treat the area as it can get darker and sorer as the days go on. I have also purchased aqueous cream which other people have recommended to keep in the fridge for the ultimate soothing effect.

Am I radioactive?

Last zap June 19th

2014 Articles on Triple Negative Breast Cancer

People are often surprised to learn that breast cancer isn’t a single disease, but made up of several sub-types. Individual cancer cells contain surface proteins that respond to signals within the body to cause cancer to grow.Some cancer grows in response to the hormones estrogen or progesterone. They’re called ER/PR+ cancers. Other cancers grow in response to a protein called HER2/neu, and are called HER2+ cancer. One of these subtypes is called triple negative breast cancer (TNBC).

About 10-20% of breast cancers test negative for both hormone receptors and HER2 in the lab, which means they are triple-negative. Since hormones are not supporting its growth, the cancer is unlikely to respond to hormonal therapies, including tamoxifen, Arimidex (chemical name: anastrozole), Aromasin (chemical name: exemestane), Femara (chemical name: letrozole), and Faslodex (chemical name: fulvestrant). Triple-negative breast cancer also is unlikely to respond to medications that target HER2, such as Herceptin (chemical name: trastuzumab) or Tykerb (chemical name: lapatinib).

In addition, triple-negative breast cancer:

• Tends to be more aggressive than other types of breast cancer. Studies have shown that triple-negative breast cancer is more likely to spread beyond the breast and more likely to recur (come back) after treatment. These risks appear to be greatest in the first few years after treatment. For example, a study of more than 1,600 women in Canada published in 2007 found that women with triple-negative breast cancer were at higher risk of having the cancer recur outside the breast — but only for the first 3 years. Other studies have reached similar conclusions. As years go by, the risks of the triple-negative breast cancer recurring become similar to those risk levels for other types of breast cancer. 
  
  Five-year survival rates also tend to be lower for triple-negative breast cancer. A 2007 study of more than 50,000 women with all stages of breast cancer found that 77% of women with triple-negative breast cancer survived at least 5 years, versus 93% of women with other types of breast cancer. Another study of more than 1,600 women published in 2007 found that women with triple-negative breast cancer had a higher risk of death within 5 years of diagnosis, but not after that time period. The recurrence and survival figures in these and other studies are averages for all women with triple-negative breast cancer. Factors such as the grade and stage of the breast cancer will influence an individual woman’s prognosis.

• Tends to be higher grade than other types of breast cancer. The higher the grade, the less the cancer cells resemble normal, healthy breast cells in their appearance and growth patterns. On a scale of 1 to 3, triple-negative breast cancer often is grade 3. 
• Triple Negative Breast Cancer grows rapidly, often has a higher grade and tends to metastasize (spread). Because the cancer grows quickly, its often discovered by the patient between mammograms. 
• The fast growth rate means that the standard chemotherapies have a good chance of inducing remission. Triple Negative has a much better response to conventional chemotherapy than other breast cancer subtypes.
• Recurrence, sometimes called relapse, is the return of breast cancer. Breast cancer can recur locally in breast or scar tissue, or distantly in other parts of the body including bones or organs. Cancer that occurs distantly is considered metastatic cancer and is very difficult to arrest, although it’s not untreatable. 
• TNBC cases that recur more frequently affect soft tissues and organs such as the lung and brain, rather than bones. It’s important to remember that most people with TNBC don’t have a metastatic recurrence.
• Usually is a cell type called “basal-like.” “Basal-like” means that the cells resemble the basal cells that line the breast ducts. This is a new subtype of breast cancer that researchers have identified using gene analysis technology. Like other types of breast cancer, basal-like cancers can be linked to family history, or they can happen without any apparent family link. Basal-like cancers tend to be more aggressive, higher grade cancers — just like triple-negative breast cancers. It’s believed that most triple-negative breast cancers are of the basal-like cell type.

It can feel upsetting and even scary to find out that you have a form of breast cancer that (1) is often more aggressive than other types and (2) isn’t a good candidate for treatments such as hormonal therapy and Herceptin. But triple-negative breast cancer can be treated with chemotherapy and radiation therapy, and new treatments — such as PARP inhibitors — are showing promise. Researchers are paying a great deal of attention to triple-negative breast cancer and working to find new and better ways to treat it. “This is an exceptionally hot area of research in the breast cancer field,” says George Sledge, M.D., medical oncologist and Breastcancer.org Professional Advisory Board member. “There is immense interest among drug developers, pharmaceutical companies, and breast cancer laboratory researchers in finding targeted therapies for these patients.”

Hidden Benefit

The risk of recurrence for TNBC is greatest within the first three years and declines rapidly after five years. Therefore, there are no long post-therapy regimens. That suggests a hidden benefit: a shortened treatment course. Women with early-stage, slow-growing ER+ cancers are often in treatment for 10 years or more.

Links

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/akoshia-yoba/triple-negative-breast_b_4697905.html

http://www.triplenegative.co.uk/

47,700 - 50,000 women and 300 men are diagnosed with BC every year in the UK

I had a lovely soak in the bath last night, a place I can light my candles, switch off the lights, play some music and RELAX. A place I can take off my cotton jersey sleep cap and dunk into hot water, although it is cold to the back of the head on the bath tub. 

On pulling the plug, I was still very surprised to how many hairs were in the bath and noticed that my eyelashes are now thinning on the top lashes, my eyebrows are still here, but these are likely to thin over the next couple of cycles.

I'm 5 days post FEC#3 and finished this cycles anti sickness tablets yesterday and still have 3 days left of 7am immune injections -
Nivestim/Filgrastim to go (administered day 2-8 post each cycle). In layman terms it makes more white blood cells in your lower back to counterbalance the healthy ones the chemo are killing off).

http://www.nivestim.eu/patient/nivestim-at-home/step-by-step.php

I have the upmost respect to anyone who has to inject themselves everyday for the rest of their life. 

I had previously pointed out in an earlier blog post that I had found a breast cancer forum very unhelpful and after reflecting upon this, it was because I was virtually surrounded by people zapping my positivity and energy.

http://www.accidentalcreative.com/teams/people-factor/

I am a strong advocate of the Macmillan website and I have since joined the Macmillan Community forums. It has been a positive experience in gaining a wealth of information, where mainly women are coming together to support each other. If you only had one website to access, this would be the one.

I've had the usual uncomfortable dry retching and lack of sleep, hot and cold sweats, stabbing pains to my head and stomach cramps but have breezed through this cycle better than the others. I really can't complain.

I'm still adhering to a good diet, even though it feels like a bit of a struggle, especially when I can imagine the taste of that gherkin pickle in a Mcdonald's cheesburger.... nom nom nom.


Drinking water with slices of lemon (keep a bowl of lemon slices in the fridge)
Drinking shots of wheatgrass when I feel rubbish
Weetabix for breakfast with drizzled honey or 1 banana to 2 eggs pancake mix
Stews (easy - just throw vegetables and stewing steak into slow cooker)
Fresh fruit and veg 
Fruit teas - no caffeine
Popcorn as a snack
Jelly (0% fat trace/8 calories)
Cottage cheese on oatcakes
Rice and Chicken
Natural Yoghurt

Links to check your bits and bobs.
Early detection is the key

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/09/27/tlc-touch-look-check_n_4001415.html

http://www.coppafeel.org/page/boobcheck

http://www.breakthrough.org.uk/about-breast-cancer/touch-look-check

http://www.breastcancercare.org.uk/breast-cancer-information/breast-awareness/being-breast-aware/changes-look-feel

http://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/testing/types/self_exam/bse_steps



Picture of the day :)

Another brilliant blog post
http://denise4health.wordpress.com/2012/04/11/what-to-say-to-a-cancer-patient-what-not-to-say-to-a-cancer-patient-part-2/

Thanks for reading and any comments welcomed and encouraged 
Anything you'd like to see included?
Tam xx

MRI - Mild cognitive Impairment - Chemo brain

Once you've been diagnosed and you start your treatment plan, it doesn't just stop there. Chemotherapy alone can leave you with chemo brain and immense fatigue. And let me tell you that fatigue is very different to feeling tired. It's not a case of receiving treatment and then BANG your back to normal, like tickety boo. You have to deal with further side effects ... the joys ....

I say this as I have tried to write the word 'gold' for the last five minutes and couldn't remember the second letter ..

It was initially reported by female breast cancer patients that they were having problems with thinking, memory and concentration. They attributed these effects to chemotherapy, so called `chemo brain'. 

These negative effects are known by various names including:

• chemo brain
• Chemotherapy Cognitive Impairment
• Post Cancer Cognitive Impairment (PCCI)
• Mild Cognitive Impairment
• Chemo fog
• Cognitive dysfunction

It is not 100% certain that these effects are caused by chemotherapy, but there is no doubt that the impairment is real. Cancer Research UK reports that studies estimate between 17-50% of breast cancer patients and 47-69% of prostate cancer patients having chemotherapy have experienced some form of cognitive impairment (source:braintrainuk.com).

Click image to enlarge

http://www.macmillan.org.uk/Cancerinformation/Cancertreatment/Treatmenttypes/Chemotherapy/Sideeffects/Mild%20cognitive%20impairment.aspx


http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/cancer-help/about-cancer/cancer-questions/chemo-brain


http://www.icctf.com/

FEC #2 - January 2nd

I had my blood tests taken on Friday the 27th of December labelled chemo priority.

I received a phone call this morning at 09:50 from the ward asking me to come in asap, on asking why - I had my bloods taken too early and they need to be taken again. 

Who advised me knowing the next date of cycle two? - only the ward, *expletive*. But I went in early with my Mum, popped my hand in a bowl of warm water to heat up my veins, had the cannula fitted and bloods taken.

Within the hour I was given the all clear to start FEC # 2, meaning my white blood cell count was normal. 

Ding ding - round 2 

Had a chat with a man opposite me, he has been in treatment for the last three years and said the only way to get through this is to stay positive and watch lots of old skool comedy

Image source: http://goodmenproject.com
Pink writing added by yours truly

He said I looked like his favourite singer. People of a certain age usually crack a comment about Tammy Wynette and I sometimes respond " you really wouldn't want me to sing for you". 

But he compared me to Sinead O'Connor (yes flattery will get you everywhere ole chap) and seemed suitably impressed that I wasn't wearing a wig. 

The nurse administering my injections even commented that I was lucky to have a "good shaped head"! *yes I'm quite impressed in the shape of my head too, my cranium/brain case has not let me down, no strange moles, lumps or bumps*

Just a little patchy - but still got hair at the moment 01/01/2014

Had my obligatory red pee afterwards and took a picture for my chemo diary and then came home and surprisingly ate quite well, rollmop herring, farmhouse ham, spinach, plum tomatoes, olives with garlic and bread + drank my own body weight in water. The red E (Epirubicin) drug has already disappeared from my system. 

Battling to keep my eyes open tonight and thought I felt a bit queasy, but ploughing through a drum of Twiglets, so I can't feel that bad. Mmm Marmite ....

If you are following a chemotherapy treatment plan at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, the Lingen Davies Centre can issue you with a carpark form which allows ten treatment plans = free parking. You are not limited to one car and I haven't driven for months, mainly as I don't trust myself at the moment behind the wheel, so rely on my Mum, Dad or Hubster for lifts to the hospital. You can not use the pass for other appointments to the oncologist etc. 

2 down and 4 to go.

YOLO peeps xx

Survival kit, Diet and Exercise

The sudden diagnosis of cancer doesn't come cheap, that's for sure. This is the stuff no one tells you about and to be honest if someone was struggling financially, this would seriously push anyone to their limit at an already fraught and stressful time.  You can get an NHS medical exemption card  by asking your GP to fill out the appropriate forms and send these off for you. Prescriptions are free to cancer patients in England. My exemption card is valid for five years. However saying that its not always feasible to be sitting in a waiting room with lots of ill people waiting to discuss with your GP all the side effects your experiencing and what medications you need.  However what is evident is the increase in day to day living and the costs incurred. 

Macmillan's new research report reveals the sheer scale of the financial burden faced by people living with cancer*

• Four out of five cancer patients lose £570 a month

The cost of cancer is calculated as the loss of income and the additional costs experienced as a result of a person's diagnosis

• One in three lose £860 a month in earnings because they are unable to work or have to cut down their hours
• Six in seven see their monthly expenses increase by £270 a month

*Figures shown are averages

http://www.macmillan.org.uk/Documents/GetInvolved/Campaigns/Costofcancer/Cancers-Hidden-Price-Tag-report-England.pdf

All advice suggests a change of diet (mainly fresh and organic) and then there is the cosmetic side of things, headscarves, cotton hat and wig paraphernalia.

I have included some frivolous items of choice to make me feel better, the candles and nice notebook. Because lets face it for two weeks out of every three you feel like you've done ten rounds with Mike Tyson and then been hit by a bus. 

 My work colleagues gave me an amazon voucher so I used it wisely and purchased a mannequin head and some music, which I have been constantly playing - positive vibes.

Here is a list of all the things I have needed so far and I'm sure I will probably be adding to it at a later date.

Cotton PJ's - for menopausal sweats hot vs cold

Candles for bath time/relaxation

Sleeping tablets (GP) & Nytol

Childrens soft toothbrush (change each chemo cycle)

Difflam oral rinse mouthwash for mouth ulcers (GP)  and Bicarbonate of soda/salt water (good for mouth ulcers)
Nice notebook to keep track of appointments, conversations at oncologist appointments, diet, medication, telephone numbers and side effects. 

Wig shampoo

Wide tooth comb to comb wig.

Mannequin head

Baby wipes

Headband - to cover your ears and back of head and pop on under a woolly hat

A cotton hat to wear in bed to keep your head warm and helps when shedding hair
scarves http://www.boldbeanies.co.uk
Jersey sleep caps http://www.annabandana.co.uk/about-us-ezp-1.html

Anti-bacterial hand sanitiser
Anusol  haemorrhoids cream- chemotherapy does give you piles and for this I hate you.

Gaviscon for heartburn

Senokot for constipation 

Ibuprofen for headaches

Vaseline

Sudocrem for dry soles of feet

Dermol 500 (GP)

Dermol 600 Bath Emollient (GP)

Fake eyelashes + glue

Eyebrow pencil

Eyebrow stencil kit

Pink blusher/bronzer

Dark nail polish (http://www.bcna.org.au/new-diagnosis/treatment/chemotherapy/nail-changes)

Tissues for the constant runny nose when you no longer have nasal hairs (http://www.royalmarsden.nhs.uk/cancer-information/treatment/chemotherapy/side-effects/pages/hair.aspx)

Cough sweets for cold like symptoms and sniffles and sore throats, nasal spray.

Moroccan Argan Oil - to hydrate your scalp and massage into your scalp to stimulate hair follicles 

Optional

Clippers - for shaving your head 

Diet

Try and cut out meat and dairy products or at least only makes up 20% of your diet
Drink plenty of water - at least 2 litres per day

Spinach 

Blueberries/Cranberries

Dried apricots/pumpkin seeds
Lemons
Pineapple/Prunes
Cucumber/Kale/Ginger/Beetroot/Spinach/Broccoli 
Juicer

Green tea/fruit tea

100% orange fruit juice lollies for sore throats (but not great when your taste buds have gone, I felt like I was chowing down on a cows tongue)
Manuka honey 25+  (tastes vile)

Wheatgrass powder 

Exercise/Complementary therapies

Walking to feed the ducks (my favourite)

Acupuncture

Rebounding/mini trampoline (haven't managed to do this as yet, but its low impact on the knees and when I feel well enough will bounce like an uncontrollable bouncy person).

http://www.oprah.com/health/11-Tips-to-Get-Through-Chemotherapy

http://pollynoble.com/

http://www.bigjuiceltd.com/

http://www.juicemaster.com/juice-therapy/a-to-z-ailments/cancer

http://kriscarr.com/products/crazy-sexy-cancer/

Happy New Year 2014

Love and light x x

Study links birth-control to rare breast cancer- TN Triple Negative, 2009

Arguably this report was published some years ago in 2009 and whether it has any real validity is questionable, BUT it is certainly food for thought. It seems clear that additional research does need to be undertaken and that these correlation of factors need to be explored further. 

Here is the link:https://www.fhcrc.org/en/news/center-news/2009/05/birth-control-rare-breast-cancer.html

Party trick gone tits up

My new party trick of pulling hair from my head, because I can - has slightly backfired in that I have a patch or two of baldness -which I just can't disguise (schoolgirl error). It seemed funny at the time.....

BUT without hair I feel that my head is too small for my body. 

I am indeed the shrunken head guy from Beetlejuice and that is clearly the dude on the right in this gif. However he appears to have a ponytail of hair which I had not previously noticed and is clearly sporting more hair than I currently have or can currently boast. 
Bugger..... 

Speak No Evil Or "What Not To Say To a Cancer Patient." by myangrycancer.blogspot.co.uk

Pubic Hair Migration

So 
with the  migration of pubic hair, this can mean only one thing. The inevitable is about to happen (the hardest part of the process).

I am about to loose my hair from my head. 

I asked my Hubster to shave my head this evening in the bath and take pictures to post to my blog.

I actually think the Freddie Mercury Moustache is quite fetching and the plant growing from my head adds some what character. 

I've gone down to a grade 1, which means less hair being shed around the house in the future days/week.

I have purchased a beanie from http://www.boldbeanies.co.uk/ (based in Wrexham)as the woollen headbands I have been wearing around the house are not something I can sleep in and will not contain the hair loss either. It's a Liberty print and I'm very excited :)

http://www.boldbeanies.co.uk/

The headbands have however been invaluable under woolly hats and it is only now that I realise that my own hair used to keep my ears insulated from the elements.

Happy Holidays and have yourself a merry grope

xx

Dear Santa

Thank you so much for the early Christmas presents of 

Piles and Pubic alopecia

xxx

Look Good Feel Better Workshop (LGFB)

The only real `cancer` thing I wanted to do was to book a place on the Look Good Feel Better Workshop http://www.lookgoodfeelbetter.co.uk/

Here are a couple of quotes, it sounds just .... mmm fluffy clouds

`The workshops are about having fun. They are informal, relaxed and informative, giving people a chance to meet others in a similar situation. It's a time for a woman to focus on herself and not her illness'

`I never thought of myself as much of a make- up person - I can't believe how brilliant I feel and look after just two hours. I can't wait to show my family'

This I thought would help in that - I could return to work in April and not look like I have cancer. Hair growth does not tend to return until your last chemotherapy treatment. 

 I'm actually thinking of returning to work minus wig, eyebrows, eyelashes etc, because surely the problem is in other people's perception and not my own, RIGHT - I know I'm being obtuse BUT I am ******* tired, very angry and ever so slightly annoyed + I have horrendous mouth ulcers to go with the bad attitude.

Anyway I contacted my local centre and the next available date is April ffs, REALLY? I am now on the cancellation list in case anything becomes available nearer to me loosing my hair - ALL HAIR- YES 

BODY HAIR TOO. 

I currently have a very healthy lady garden BUT alas this is apparently one of the first things to go. 

I asked about the complementary therapies they have on offer - reflexology, reiki, aromatherapy. 

And .... as it happens this is no longer available. 

BUT I can attend a COFFEE MORNING which is odd because coffee is not on the greatest things to drink on the `fuck you` cancer list.

So when I joked about drawing my eyebrows on with various coloured felt tip pens or a Sharpie or two ...... 

Did I mention I'm having a bad day?

Triple Negative BC Results

The results are in ......So, not only do I sit in the 5% of people diagnosed under the age of 40, but also within the 15-20% of people diagnosed with Triple Negative breast cancer. 

`Triple negative breast cancer is found in about 1 in 5 women with breast cancer (15-20%)` Source: Macmillan

Well aren't I a clever fucker. I tried not to write anything too flippant but I just couldn't resist. 

What is triple-negative breast cancer?

About 10 to 20 percent of breast cancers are triple-negative. 

Knowing breast cancer basics can help you understand how triple-negative breast cancer is different from other types of breast cancer. To find out what type of breast cancer you have, your doctors search for the presence or absence of three receptors, proteins that live inside or on the surface of a cell and bind to something in the body to cause the cell to react. You may have heard of the oestrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2).

In oestrogen receptor-positive breast cancer, progesterone receptor-positive breast cancer and HER2 positive breast cancer, treatments prevent, slow or stop cancer growth with medicines that target those receptors. But triple-negative breast cancers need different types of treatments because they are oestrogen receptor negative, progesterone receptor negative and HER2 negative. Medicines like tamoxifen, which targets the oestrogen receptor, and trastuzumab (Herceptin), which targets HER2, are not helpful in treating triple-negative breast cancer. Instead, chemotherapy has been shown to be the most effective treatment for triple-negative breast cancer.

Researchers are working to improve their understanding of the biology of triple-negative breast cancers, how these types of cancers behave and what puts people at risk for them. Their goals are to find out the best ways to use treatments that already exist and to develop new ones.

Understanding the ‘Basal-like’ Subtype

Most triple-negative breast cancers have a basal-like cell pattern. This term means the cells look like the basal cells that line the breast ducts, the tubes in the breast where milk travels. You might have heard your doctor call triple negative breast cancer a basal tumour, basal breast cancer or basal-like disease.

Basal-like breast cancers tend to over express, or make too much of, certain genes that encourage cancer growth. Not all triple-negative breast cancers are basal-like, and not all basal-like breast cancers are triple-negative. About 70 to 90 percent of triple-negative breast cancers are basal-like.

Doctors choose treatments because the cancer is triple-negative, not because it is basal-like. The  basal status of the cancer does not factor into treatment decisions, but your doctor may tell you if the cancer is basal-like because the term appears in breast cancer resources and information.

Three Myths About Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
MYTH - Women with triple-negative breast cancer can have the same treatments as all other women with breast cancer.

FACT - Many people do not understand that there are different kinds of breast cancer. Even some women who have had breast cancer do not understand the differences between triple negative breast cancers and breast cancers that are hormone receptor-positive or HER2 positive.

Women you meet may have taken a hormonal treatment pill for five years to protect them from recurrence (a return of the cancer), or they may know someone who has. These women may not understand that this option does not exist for you. Having to explain the differences between triple-negative and other breast cancers can be frustrating, especially if you are just learning about this diagnosis yourself. On the other hand, you may take some of the same chemotherapy medicines as women with other types of breast cancer.

MYTH - Triple-negative breast cancers are always hard to treat.

FACT - Your doctor may tell you triple-negative breast cancer is harder to treat than other types of breast cancer. While many triple-negative cancers are aggressive, your doctor’s prediction of how well your treatment will work depends on the tumour size and whether the cancer has travelled to the lymph nodes in your armpit just as much as it does on its triple-negative status. There are some very effective treatments for triple-negative breast cancer. Your doctor will work with you to find the treatment that is right for you.

Researchers are still learning why some women are more likely than others to develop triple-negative breast cancer. Research supports a relationship between risk and your genes, age, race and ethnicity.

Sources: 

http://www.triplenegative.co.uk/

http://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/triple-negative-breast-cancer

http://beyondtheshock.com/

There are some interesting articles on Triple Negative on CureToday.com and here are the links:

Not so scary anymore, and Triple-Negative Breast Cancer, Divide and Conquer, both written by Heather L Van Epps, PHD, 2013

http://www.curetoday.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/article.show/id/2/article_id/2185

http://www.curetoday.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/article.show/id/2/article_id/2157