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

After her diagnosis of hormone-negative breast cancer, health journalist Patricia Prijatel did what any reporter would do: start investigating the disease, how it occurs, how it's treated, and how to keep it from recurring. While she learned that important research on triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) was emerging, she found a noticeable lack of resources on the disease, which differs from hormone-positive breast cancer in important ways, including prognosis and treatment options. Triple-negative breast cancer disproportionately affects younger women and African-American women-and some forms of it can be more dangerous than other types of breast cancer. But there are many reasons to be hopeful, as Prijatel shows in this book. __Surviving Triple-Negative Breast Cancer__ delivers research-based information on the biology of TNBC; the role of genetics, family history, and race; how to navigate treatment options; understanding a pathology report; and a plethora of strategies to reduce the risk of recurrence, including diet and lifestyle changes. In clear, approachable language, Prijatel provides a fact-filled guide based on 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. Writing with honesty and humor, Prijatel delivers an inspiring message--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 survive and go on to live full lives. __Surviving____Triple-Negative Breast Cancer__ is a roadmap for women who want to be empowered through their treatment and recovery.
After her diagnosis of hormone-negative breast cancer, health journalist Patricia Prijatel did what any reporter would do: start investigating the disease, how it occurs, how it's treated, and how to keep it from recurring. While she learned that important research on triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) was emerging, she found a noticeable lack of resources on the disease, which differs from hormone-positive breast cancer in important ways, including prognosis and treatment options. Triple-negative breast cancer disproportionately affects younger women and African-American women-and some forms of it can be more dangerous than other types of breast cancer. But there are many reasons to be hopeful, as Prijatel shows in this book.

Surviving Triple-Negative Breast Cancer delivers research-based information on the biology of TNBC; the role of genetics, family history, and race; how to navigate treatment options; understanding a pathology report; and a plethora of strategies to reduce the risk of recurrence, including diet and lifestyle changes. In clear, approachable language, Prijatel provides a fact-filled guide based on 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.

Writing with honesty and humor, Prijatel delivers an inspiring message--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 survive and go on to live full lives. Surviving Triple-Negative Breast Cancer is a roadmap for women who want to be empowered through their treatment and recovery.

Cover 1 Contents 8 List of Tables 12 List of Boxes 14 Foreword 16 Acknowledgments 20 One: The Sun Shines on My Bald Head 26 Educating Myself 42 How to Use This Book 44 The Language of TNBC 46 I Am, Literally, a Friend 46 Two: What Is This Disease? 48 Sorting Out the Negatives and Positives 51 Recurrence and Metastases 54 Race and Triple-Negative 56 The Age Factor 59 BRCA Mutations 60 Yeah, But ... 62 Additional Resources 64 Three: Understanding Your Diagnosis 70 Testing, Testing 73 Breast Cancer Types: Where Hormone-Negative Fits In 78 Translating Your Pathology Report 81 Four: The Biology of Triple-Negative 92 Risks, Correlations, and Exceptions 94 The Implications of a Weakened Immune System 95 Our Genetic Code 97 The Interplay of Hormones and Receptors 101 Inflammation and the Insulin Connection 103 Reproductive Factors 106 How and Why Is Race a Risk Factor? 107 Men and Breast Cancer 110 Five: Treatment: Your Options 120 Facing Treatment 121 Surgery: Lumpectomy Versus Mastectomy 123 Chemotherapy and TNBC 127 Chemotherapy Drugs 133 Biologic Therapies 140 Radiation 142 Tamoxifen and Arimidex 143 Herceptin 144 Combined Therapy for Hormone-Negative 145 Which Regimen Works Best? 146 On the Horizon 149 The Rest of You 152 Alternative Treatments 156 Follow-Up Care After Hormone-Negative Breast Cancer 158 Six: The Positives of Healthy Living 170 Exercise and Physical Activity 172 Weight Control 177 Diet: Healthy In, Healthy Out 178 Putting It All Together 197 Seven: My Life Right Now 210 What Cancer Means to Me Now 220 TNBC Women 221 Appendix Annotated Pathology Report: Pat’s Case 224 Glossary 232 A 232 B 233 C 233 D 234 E 234 F 235 H 235 I 236 L 236 M 236 N 237 O 237 P 237 R 238 S 238 T 239 U 239 V 239 W 239 Index 240 A 240 B 240 C 241 D 242 E 242 F 243 G 243 H 243 I 244 J 244 K 244 L 244 M 245 N 245 O 245 P 245 R 246 S 246 T 247 U 248 V 248 W 248 X 248 Y 248 "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 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 shows in this book. Surviving Triple Negative Breast Cancer delivers 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 a fact-filled 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. Writing with honesty and humor, Prijatel delivers an inspiring message--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 Triple Negative Breast Cancer is a roadmap for women who want to be empowered through their treatment and recovery."--Book jacket