What Is Triple-Negative Breast Cancer?
Triple-negative breast cancer is any cancer that tests negative for three of the main things — the hormones estrogen and progesterone and a protein called HER2 — that drive other forms of the disease. Knowing that helps doctors figure out how to best treat you.
That’s important because triple-negative breast cancer is more aggressive than other forms. It’s more likely to have spread beyond your breast at the time it’s found, and there’s a higher chance it will come back within the first 3 years after treatment. It’s also more likely to be fatal within the first 5 years. But once you pass those milestones, your odds of beating it are about the same as someone with any other type of breast cancer.
One other thing about this kind of cancer: It doesn’t respond to some of the chemo brain”).
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It’s hard to say exactly what the odds are because cancer affects everyone differently. Plus, how well you do depends on how early you catch the cancer and how well you responded to treatment.
In general, about91% of all women with triple-negative breast cancer are still alive 5 years after diagnosis. If the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes near the breast (regional) the 5 year relative survival rate is about 65%. If the cancer has spread to distant places, the 5 year relative survival rate is 11%.
Recurrence
Although triple-negative breast cancer is more likely to return to another part of your body than other forms, the risk that this will happen drops over time. The risk peaks around 3 years of treatment and falls quickly after that.
Getting Support
No one will understand what you’re going through better than someone else who has this type of breast cancer. In addition to information about the disease, organizations like the American Cancer Society (www.cancer.org) and the Triple Negative Breast Cancer Foundation (www.tnbcfoundation.org) can connect you with support groups. You can also check online for groups that meet locally, either through a church or community center.
Don’t forget to tell the people around you what’s going on — and to ask for help when you need it. It’s up to you who you tell and when, but the more you share with family and friends, the better equipped they’ll be to lend a hand when you need it.