Triple Negative Breast Cancer, "I Won't Back Down!": Detroit Tigers Pink out the Park 2015

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, September 17, 2015

Detroit Tigers Pink out the Park 2015

On Friday September 15, 2015, I get a telephone call from my pink sister, Lynette of my local breast cancer group... Lynette asks me if I wanted to go to Detroit Tiger's Pink Out The Park game and that she had an extra ticket. I ask her when and she stated today... I said I would need to clear my calendar for the day and check with my husband. After breaking previous commitments which were rescheduled, I headed up to Michigan where Lynette lived and we drove together into Detroit early to beat the traffic and eat dinner at Hockeytown Cafe. At the game, we met up with some breast cancer survivors from Lynette's online group and also ran into Maureen, a TNBC sister whom I met a year prior at another TNBC event in Detroit. I also met 3 other ladies that were TNBC survivors and got to chat with at the game. I was able to walk out on the infield with Lynette as we and other breast cancer survivors were recognized for the breast cancer awareness game. I was honored to be Lynette's guest to the game and infield ceremony, a memory that I will always hold close to my heart. The baseball game was great with a win over the Kansas City Royals, great weather and great company. Thank you Lynette, my dear pink sister, I love you! - Melissa