What is Triple Negative Breast Cancer?

Fun with Familiar Faces at C4YW Orlando Conference 2014...

I still cannot stop thinking about the fabulous time I had at  the Conference for Young Women (C4YW) 2014 in Orlando, Florida this past February. It was was a weekend full of education and fun where several hundred breast cancer survivors came together to learn from medical expert speakers, workshops, group discussions, exhibitors and from other survivor who have walked your journey and who "get it."
I was so excited to meet up with some of my pink sisters that I met at last year's conference in Seattle and also met a few new faces from our TNBC group. I had fun rooming with TNBC sister, Angie Munoz whom I met in our online support group and face to face at C4YW Seattle 2013 Conference. In our down time, Angie and I went to Disney World, Disney Hollywood and then to Animal Kingdom with pink sisters Tammie Tupen And Tracy Gordon. I attended 3 of several session; Emerging Research in Metastatic Breast Cancer with Dr. Kathryn Ruddy; Advocacy and You; and a Discussion group on Talking Triple-Negative breast Cancer. A bunch of us pink sisters went out for dinner and dancing at Congo's at Disney downtown and on another night we all went to a Japanese grill before ending the night with the conference's Saturday night's dance that is always fun with more dancing. We spent our evenings hanging out at the pool and hot tub talking about life till early morning hours.
Next year's conference will be held in Houston, Texas and am so thrilled about meeting up with these ladies again and learn more of the latest breast cancer medical breakthroughs. 

TNBC sister Sara, Juls, Melissa and Shanese

Melissa and TNBC sister, Lisa Southerland O'Connor

Melissa and TNBC sister, Angie Munoz

Melissa and pink sister, Sheryl DeHaven "Beyond Boobs!"

Melissa and TNBC Sister Raymon Bessix "Beyond Boobs!"

TNBC sister, Sara Kouten

"Triple Step Towards the Cure", Lori Flowers and Melissa

Melissa and TNBC Sister and Author, Ann Pietrangelo

TNBC Sister, Roxanne Martinez and Melissa

TNBC Sisters, Amy, Jeanna, Sara, Lisa and Melissa

Melissa and TNBC Sister, Ishiuan Hargrove

TNBC Sisters Melissa, Rebecca Edwards Newman
 and Angela

Dancing with my pink ladies at Congo's

TNBC, "I Won't Back Down!"

Melissa and Dr. Kathryn Ruddy, MD, Oncology

TNBC Sister, Elizabeth Luttrell and Melissa

TNBC Sister, Shelly Finfrock Gardner and Melissa

TNBC Sister, Tanya and Melissa

Annie of the "Annie Appleseed Project" and Melissa

TNBC Sister, Gin Marks "Beyond Boobs!" and Melissa

" I fight for all of my TNBC Sisters!"

Melissa, Stacie, Angie, Dusty, Angela, Jeanna, 
Tammie and Shanese

Melissa, Angela Angie, Dusty Showers "2nd Baseman",
 Stacie and Sara

Pink Sister, Tammie Turpen and Melissa

Dusty, Angela, Jeanna, Shanese, Tammie, Juls, Melissa, 
Angie, Sara, Stacie and Lisa

http://triplesteptowardthecure.org 
http://www.youngsurvival.org 
http://the2ndbasemen.org

TNBC Sisters!

 TNBC Sisters

"Beyond Boobs!" Good Health Fairy and Melissa

"Triple Step Towards the Cure", Carole and Melissa

Young Survival Coalition CEO, Jen Merschdorf and Melissa

Melissa and TNBC sister, Traci Gordon

Notes from Emerging Treatments in Metastatic Breast Cancer:

Metastatic Breast Cancer is cancer that spreads outside of the breast and underarm auxiliary nodes.
Keep cancer under control as long as possible... minimize size effects. 

Treatments: 

• Platinum 
• ER Inhibitors
• Parp - Repair DNA for TNBC patients who are also BRCA positive. 

In TNBC, recurrence is early.


Notes from Talking Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Discussion:

3% of tissue is left after mastectomy so look for skin changes after mastectomy such as pimples or nodules changes.

There is no tumor marker that detects cancer. Check for blood changes... make sure everything is leveled. If you're suddenly anemic, would want to do testing to see why there is a change.

Watch for new aches and pains, head aches, pains that aches at night and symptoms that don't go away after a few days.


Discussion with the Medical Experts: 

Flaxseed is being studied for possible Estrogen Blockage.

10 year Tamoxifen is more effective than 5 years.

IBC- Research in understanding the biology of Inflammatory Breast Cancer...
What kind of IBC?

Push more MRI than 3D Mammogram

TNBC- Platinum drugs are more effective

BRCA Testing- Free the data

New proteins making in more complicated in understanding disease.

Not ready to quit fighting when 5-10% are metastatic at original diagnosis

Exercise- Evidence in prevention and ease cancer symptoms such as fatigue.

No data in diet.

6 Things To Know About Triple Negative Breast Cancer (Infographic)

TNBC sister, Ann Pietrangelo had written an article published on Care2.com in regards to TNBCDay 3.3.2014 on some basic facts of Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) . The point that Ann wanted to get across to her readers is that breast cancer is not a single disease. There are several subtypes of breast cancer with TNBC being aggressive and lacking in long term treatment.

Ann quoted me in her article on the positives of my TNBC journey:

"TNBC survivor Melissa Paskvan says, “I have met many amazing TNBC survivors throughout my journey that I consider as my extended family. We TNBC sisters, we ‘get it.’ We are a unique Sisterhood bonded by our uncommon disease and I embrace it.”

"Ms. Paskvan continues, “I keep fighting alongside those who are still fighting, those who are too weak to fight, and for those who can no longer fight. My fight is not over until all of my sisters are safe. Never lose sight of hope, hope to find our targeted therapy and hope for more tomorrows.”

Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/6-things-to-know-about-triple-negative-breast-cancer-infographic.html#ixzz2z0eCvWrM

Catch That Look by Ann Pietrangelo... and More!

I'm seriously excited to read Ann Pietrangelo's new book, Catch That Look, a memoir of her Triple Negative Breast Cancer journey. I'm trying to slow down with all of my projects and relax with a good book about my TNBC sister who had walked my path.  Ann was so kind to sign my copy of Catch That Look before sending it to me... Thank you Ann! I was thrilled when Ann told me that she was going to the same breast cancer conference, C4YW in Orlando! I finally got to meet Ann in person!  I first met Ann online about 2 years ago when she did a story on my for her TNBC series. Ann is a healthcare writer and authored two books including No More Secs!, a memoir of her Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis.

"Where the road leads, for now, is a mystery. I'm just grateful to be on the road." - Ann Pietrangelo

I'm so excited!

Love my TNBC sister!

Melissa and TNBC sister, Ann

Catch That Look: Living, Laughing and Loving Despite Triple-Negative Breast Cancer - by Ann Pietrangelo

This is a memoir written by my Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) friend whom I met online and had the honor of having my story featured in a series of her "Living with Triple Negative Breast Cancer" stories she had written in 2011. 
Sometimes, when that "other shoe" finally drops, it drops hard... 

Publication Date: December 3, 2013
She couldn’t believe her luck. After years of living with the debilitating effects of multiple sclerosis, Ann Pietrangelo was making the most of her miraculous remission – not that she didn’t expect the other shoe to drop. An accidental discovery of a lump soon led to the life-threatening diagnosis of triple-negative breast cancer.

From a deeply personal perspective and told in riveting detail, Catch That Look explores the relationships between doctors and their patients, as well as between patients and their loved ones. With each new page, it becomes crystal clear that just as a picture is worth a thousand words, sometimes, when you catch it, a look speaks volumes.

From the author of "No More Secs! Living, Laughing & Loving Despite Multiple Sclerosis," this follow-up memoir is one that Ann never thought she would have to write. It offers the reader passionate insight into the emotional and physical turmoil of learning you have a second life-altering disease – and what it means to be a true survivor.

For Ann and her husband, Jim, the diagnosis would test their “living, laughing, and loving despite” mindset. Would they pass this test?

With foreword by Diane Radford, MD, FACS, FRCSEd, surgical oncologist and breast surgeon at Mercy Clinic St. Louis Cancer & Breast Institute.

eBook NOW ON AMAZON -paperback coming soon!
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00H4OBDTC 

Author website: AnnPietrangelo.com 

Living With Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Series

Ann Pietrangelo, a contributing writer for Care2 writes a series of articles of life with Triple Negative Breast Cancer from a patient's perspective.
http://www.annpietrangelo.com/cancer_series.php (Clink to link)