Triple Negative Breast Cancer, "I Won't Back Down!": Remembering TNBC Sister, Marijke Van Fleet-Silvent...

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.

Thursday, April 17, 2014

Remembering TNBC Sister, Marijke Van Fleet-Silvent...

January 2013- Pregnancy-related breast cancer, found lump during last week of pregnancy. diagnosed with Triple Negative Breast Cancer with node involvement 3 weeks after giving birth. Nearly 4cm tumor.
Feb. 15, 2013- Started chemo first, AC hard time with nausea, tumor shrank
June 2013- Tumor started growing again rapidly during Taxol active treatment, Taxol stopped working. Stopped chemo treatments and scheduled urgent mastectomy
August 2013- scans clear
October 2013- bruised feeling pain on right side of head. Brain CT clear.
October 27, 2013- Intense "bruise pain" in chest/ribcage area. Cancer recurrence in both lungs, liver and bone
December 2013- Skull mets, protruding bulge on side of head. cancer spread to spine. Doesn't think the chemo is working. vision issues. Start full brain radiation.

"My toddler kissed me yesterday and said, "Mommy I hope your cancer gets better" and I just lost it!"

December 27, 2013- Cancer did not respond to Carbo/Gemsar chemo, spread to more organs and brain and increased in size my 20% in 8 weeks.

"Oncologist voiced the fear that has been in my head for weeks now -- that I have some crazy-strong-aggressive form of chemo-resistant breast cancer."

"...cry and ask God "Why? Oh why?" I HATE this damn disease and all the evil associated with it and the Hell it creates for families... words fail me when I try to explain how heartbroken I am about my two babies having to grow up without their mother because of this disease. God please give me more time... and help us to find a cure for this evil. Surely love can overcome even this evil. Please God, please..."

January 2014- Start Xeloda

Marijke J. (Van Fleet) Silvent, age 40, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, February 19th, 2014, in Leesburg, VA, after battling triple-negative breast cancer for over a year. You are missed by your TNBC sisters.