How can triple-negative BC be treated at age 42?

Question

Hello doctor,

I am a 42-year-old woman recently diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer, and I am feeling overwhelmed. My oncologist explained that this type of cancer does not respond to hormone therapy or targeted treatments like HER2 drugs. I have been reading about the aggressive nature of TNBC and its higher recurrence rates, which is causing me a lot of anxiety. The thought of chemotherapy as the primary treatment option is daunting.

I am worried about the side effects and how it will impact my daily life, especially since I have two young children to care for.

Are there any new clinical trials or emerging therapies that might be suitable for my case?

I am desperate for any information that could give me hope and improve my chances of beating this disease.

Please help.

Thank you.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I understand your concern.

Triple-negative breast cancers are a little more aggressive form of breast cancer compared with other types of breast cancer, for example, hormone-positive breast cancers. It has no hormone receptors, ER (estrogen receptors), and PR (progesterone receptors), and it will not respond to hormone treatment. It has the tendency to grow and spread faster than other forms of breast cancer.

Triple-negative breast cancers are treated with chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and surgery, and radiation therapy is part of the treatment. The exact treatment plan depends upon the stage and molecular profile of the disease.

Usually, in early and later stages, triple-negative breast cancer responds well to chemotherapy and immunotherapy, but the risk of triple-negative breast cancer is more common in younger or premenopausal women, and many of them have a BRCA genetic mutation.

So it is recommended to do a BRCA (breast cancer gene 1) genetic testing, and in case it proves to be positive, other family members, including her daughter, should also go for screening and BRCA testing so as to prevent breast cancer or detect it at an early stage in the future.

Most patients with triple-negative breast cancer at an early stage are curable with the treatment, but the recurrence rate from stages one to three is usually 40 percent.

Preventive measures for breast cancer include:

Avoid becoming overweight.
Breastfeed babies for as long as possible.
Eat healthy.
Keep physically active.
Enroll in breast screening at an early age (25 years of age) if there is a family history of breast cancer.

I hope this has helped you. Please feel free to contact me again in case you have any further queries.

Take care.