Triple Negative Breast Cancer, "I Won't Back Down!": The SCAR Project, Breast Cancer Survivors Bares All For Awareness

What is TNBC

WHAT IS TRIPLE NEGATIVE BREAST CANCER?

Just in recent years, Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) has sparked interest in the news where instead of calling the tumor as ER-negative, PR-negative, and HER2-negative; researchers began using the shorthand term, "Triple Negative," dubbed the "new type" of breast cancer. Being Triple Negative, you don't have a targeted therapy and your only treatment option is chemotherapy.

Triple Negative Breast Cancer is seen in about 15% of all breast cancers. TNBC is a very aggressive cancer that tends to strike younger women, pre-menopause, especially among African-American women and women who have BRCA1 mutations. The tumor tends to be fast growing and is less likely to show up on an annual mammogram. TNBC is more likely to metastasis early on; has a high rate of recurrence in the first 2-3 years from diagnosis and has a poorer prognosis than other types of breast cancer due to lack of specific, targeted treatment for TNBC.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

The SCAR Project, Breast Cancer Survivors Bares All For Awareness

Fashion Designer, David Jay shoots an exhibit of life size portraits of young women breast cancer survivors displaying their courage in raising awareness to early-onset breast cancer while raising funds for research and outreach programs. http://www.thescarproject.org/ (Click to link)

The SCAR Project: Breast Cancer Is Not a Pink ribbon.

(Volume I) Book containing portraits of young breast cancer survivors and their autobiographical account of their breast cancer journey. Available at amazon.com

“For these young women, having their portrait taken seems to represent their personal victory over this terrifying disease. It helps them reclaim their femininity, their sexuality, identity and power after having been robbed of such an important part of it. Through these simple pictures, they seem to gain some acceptance of what has happened to them and the strength to move forward with pride.”

Baring It All (The SCAR Project documentary) DVD available at amazon.com