How will treatment for TNBC affect a 65-year-old woman?

Question

Hello doctor,

I am 65 years old and recently retired. I have just been diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer, and I am worried about my age and existing health issues. I have hypertension and type 2 diabetes, which will impact my treatment.

I have read that this type of cancer is more common in younger women.

Does that mean my situation is different or worse?
What kind of side effects can I expect from the treatment?

I am concerned about how they will affect my quality of life and independence. I was looking forward to an active retirement, and now I am not sure what to expect.

Kindly help.

Thank you.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I read your query and can understand your concern.

Triple-negative breast cancers are more aggressive forms of breast cancer, and the recurrence rate is a little higher compared with hormone-positive breast cancers.

Pathologists diagnose breast cancer by testing tumors for three hormone receptors: estrogen (ER), progesterone (PR), and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). If cells test negative, the diagnosis is triple-negative breast cancer.

Triple-negative means it has no hormone receptors, ER, PR, and HER2. It will not respond to hormone treatment, and it has a tendency to grow and spread faster than other forms of breast cancer.

Triple-negative breast cancer is more common in younger or premenopausal women, and many of them have a BRCA (breast cancer) genetic mutation. So, it is recommended to do BRCA genetic testing, and in case it proves to be positive, other family members should also go for screening and BRCA testing to prevent breast cancer or detect it at an early stage in the future.

For diabetes and hypertension treatment, the same treatment will be continued, but with close monitoring of blood parameters and BP (blood pressure) monitoring.

Chemotherapy side effects:

After chemotherapy, your hair typically begins to grow back naturally.

I would suggest you do the following:

Be gentle with your hair during and after treatment. Use a wide-tooth comb instead of a brush, avoid pulling, and ask for a cold cap. When you next visit the physician for chemotherapy. A cold cap, also known as a scalp cooling cap, is a hat that is worn during chemotherapy to reduce hair loss.
Eat smaller meals more often instead of three larger meals each day.
Eat healthy snacks regularly.
Eat light meals on the day of your treatment.
Sip drinks slowly through a straw rather than drinking them straight from a glass.
Try acupuncture. Some people have found it helps relieve nausea and vomiting.
Relaxation techniques like deep breathing and meditation may also help stop these side effects.

I hope I have answered your question.

Let me know if I can assist you further.

Thank you.