Surviving Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Hope, Treatment, and Recovery

by Prijatel, Patricia; Scott-Conner, Carol

• ISBN13: 9780195387629
• ISBN10: 0195387627
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2012-11-01
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

After her diagnosis of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), health journalist Patricia Prijatel did what any reporter would do: start investigating the disease, how it occurs, and how it's treated. While she learned that important research was emerging, she found a noticeable lack of resources on the disease, which affects 70,000 women a year and differs from hormone-positive breast cancer in important ways, including prognosis and treatment options. Hormone negative breast cancer disproportionately affects younger women and African-American women - and it can be more dangerous than other types of breast cancer. But there are many reasons to be hopeful, as Prijatel learned. Through her blog, Positives About Negative, she has met hundreds of women who have told her their stories and shared their fears, confusion, and frustration. After her recovery, she began writing this book to provide the first dedicated resource for women diagnosed with TNBC. Surviving Triple Negative Breast Cancerdelivers research-based information on the biology of TNBC; the role of genetics, family history, and race; how to navigate treatment options; and a plethora of strategies to reduce the risk of recurrence, including diet and lifestyle changes. In clear, approachable language, Prijatel provides an accessible guide to understanding a pathology report and a vast array of scientific studies. Woven throughout the book are stories of women who have faced TNBC. These are mothers, wives, daughters, and sisters who went through a variety of medical treatments and then got on with life -- one competes in triathlons, two had babies after being treated with chemo, one got remarried in her 50s, and one just celebrated the 30th birthday of the son she was nursing when she was diagnosed. With honesty and humor, Prijatel's inspiring story shows the heart of a survivor. Her message is that TNBC is a disease to take seriously, with proper and occasionally aggressive treatment, but it is not automatically a killer. Most women diagnosed with the disease do survive.Surviving TripleNegative Breast Canceris a roadmap for women who want to be empowered through their treatment and recovery.

Author Biography

Patricia Prijatel, E.T. Meredith Distinguished Professor Emerita at Drake University, has helped educate, motivate, support, and challenge people for the better part of three decades. She is a nationally published magazine writer, an award-winning teacher, and a well-respected writing coach. Her "Positives About Negative" blog has reached more than 100,000 readers and is one of the few sites that deals specifically with triple negative breast cancer.

Table of Contents

List of Tables	p. xi
List of Boxes	p. xiii
Foreword	p. xv
Acknowledgments	p. xix
The Sun Shines on My Bald Head	p. 1
Educating Myself	p. 17
How to Use This Book	p. 19
The Language of TNBC	p. 21
I Am, Literally, a Friend	p. 21
What Is This Disease?	p. 23
Sorting Out the Negatives and Positives	p. 26
Recurrence and Metastases	p. 29
Race and Triple-Negative	p. 31
The Age Factor	p. 34
BRCA Mutations	p. 35
Yeah, But…	p. 37
Additional Resources	p. 39
Understanding Your Diagnosis	p. 45
Testing, Testing	p. 48
Breast Cancer Types: Where TNBC Fits In	p. 53
Translating Your Pathology Report	p. 56
The Biology of Triple-Negative	p. 67
Risks, Correlations, and Exceptions	p. 69
The Implications of a Weakened Immune System	p. 70
Our Genetic Code	p. 72
The Interplay of Hormones and Receptors	p. 76
Inflammation and the Insulin Connection	p. 78
Reproductive Factors	p. 81
How and Why Is Race a Risk Factor?	p. 82
Men and Breast Cancer	p. 85
Treatment: Your Options	p. 95
Facing Treatment	p. 96
Surgery: Lumpectomy Versus Mastectomy	p. 98
Chemotherapy and TNBC	p. 102
Chemotherapy Drugs	p. 108
Biologic Therapies	p. 115
Radiation	p. 117
Tamoxifen and Arimidex	p. 118
Herceptin	p. 119
Combined Therapy for Hormone-Negative	p. 120
Which Regimen Works Best?	p. 121
On the Horizon	p. 124
The Rest of You	p. 127
Alternative Treatments	p. 131
Follow-Up Care After Hormone-Negative Breast Cancer	p. 133
The Positives of Healthy Living	p. 145
Exercise and Physical Activity	p. 147
Weight Control	p. 152
Diet: Healthy In, Healthy Out	p. 153
Putting It All Together	p. 172
My Life Right Now	p. 185
What Cancer Means to Me Now	p. 195
TNBC Women	p. 196
Appendix Annotated Pathology Report: Pat's Case	p. 199
Glossary	p. 207
Index	p. 215
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