Brittany’s Fight Against Cancer Continues

My Wife went to the emergency room for pains in her back and stomach last week, only to find that she now has Stage 4, Metastatic Cancer. Although we were made aware of the chances of the cancer returning, we definitely weren’t prepared for it to come back so soon, so aggressively.

Here’s a little backstory... In July of 2019, Brittany was diagnosed with Triple Negative, Stage 3 Breast Cancer. Privy to the harmful effects chemotherapy and radiation would have on her body, she was adamant that conventional treatment would be her last resort. She immediately adopted a strict alkaline raw vegan diet for the next 5 months that followed but showed little to no progress overall & the tumor quadrupled in size in that short time span.

The day after her 31st birthday, she made the difficult decision to proceed with Chemotherapy. After completing multiple rounds of chemo, she had a double mastectomy & would follow up with radiation from June until Mid-August (or at least that was the plan). At her most recent doctors’ visit, we’ve found that the cancer has spread to her lungs and kidney, just 3 months after completing chemotherapy. Radiation has been halted and her oncologist plans to put her back on chemotherapy as soon as possible.

We have done thorough research into alternative healing protocols and have unwavering faith that she WILL win this battle against cancer by incorporating these practices into her lifestyle, in conjunction with chemotherapy. I am humbly asking for monetary blessings on behalf of my wife and our family to help cover medical bills, alternative healing modalities, and any additional expenses needed to get us through this hardship. If you are unable to contribute financially, please send peace, love, and light or just drop a few positive words and well wishes. Blessings to you all and thank you for your contribution!

Please continue reading for additional information regarding Triple Negative Breast Cancer.

*******************

Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive form of breast cancer that can be difficult to treat and targets specific populations.

TNBC is not hormonally fueled

Triple-negative breast cancer are tumors that test negative for estrogen receptors, progesterone receptors, and excess HER2 protein. These results mean the growth of the cancer is not fueled by the hormones estrogen and progesterone, or by the HER2 protein. About 10-20 percent of breast cancers are triple-negative breast cancers.

TNBC does not respond to hormonal therapy medicines or medicines that target HER2 protein receptors. TNBC is typically treated with a combination of surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy.

TNBC targets specific populations

While TNBC can show up in anyone, researchers have found that it is more prevalent in the following populations:

Younger people. TNBC is more likely to be diagnosed in people younger than 50. Other types of breast cancer are more commonly diagnosed in people age 60 or older.
African-American and Hispanic women.  TNBC is more likely to be diagnosed in African-Canadian and African-American women and Hispanic women. Asian women and non-Hispanic white women are less likely to be diagnosed with TNBC.
People with a BRCA1 genetic mutation.  About 70 percent of breast cancers diagnosed in people with an inherited BRCA1 mutation are triple negative.

TNBC is considered a more aggressive type of breast cancer, mainly because there are fewer targeted medicines that treat TNBC. Studies have shown that TNBC is more likely to spread beyond the breast and more likely to recur (come back) after treatment. That being said, when patients do have a complete response to treatment beyond five years, they have longer periods of NED (no evidence of disease).

TNBC tends to be a higher grade than other types of breast cancer. The higher the grade, the less the cancer cells resemble normal, healthy breast cells in their appearance and growth patterns. On a scale of 1 to 3, TNBC is usually grade 3.

Being diagnosed with cancer is terrifying but a TNBC diagnosis can be exceptionally scary because it tends to be more aggressive with a poorer prognosis. Also, unlike other breast cancers, when you are done treatment there is no adjuvant therapies like Tamoxifen for estrogen receptive breast cancer or Herceptin for HER2 positive breast cancer.