Triple Negative Breast Cancer, "I Won't Back Down!": March 2013

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.

Friday, March 29, 2013

Cristy Norwood, Our Inspiring Triple Negative Breast Cancer Warrior Chick!

My TNBC Sister speaks of Faith...

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Triple Negative Breast Cancer Focus Groups...

Do you have triple-negative breast cancer, or know someone who does? We’re holding focus groups in Philadelphia, PA (April 12 and 13, metastatic) and Chapel Hill, NC (April 10, early-stage) to talk about the needs of women with TNBC. Contact publications@lbbc.org to get involved

Saturday, March 23, 2013

1,6-Bisphosphate (FBP1), Key Enzyme Missing From Triple Negative Breast Cancer Cells

Dr. Peter Zhou

"Zhou's study, published in Cancer Cell, showed that the powerful transcription factor complex Snail-G9a-Dnmt1 is over-expressed in triple-negative breast cancer, inhibiting the enzyme 1,6-bisphosphate (FBP1). The loss of this enzyme shuts down the glucose anabolic pathway and promotes the glucose catabolic pathway, leading to a large amount of glucose entering the tumor cells and thus "feeding" the aggressive cancer. This metabolic switch empowers the triple-negative breast cancer cells to suck more glucose from the body, increasing macromolecule biosynthesis in tumor cells and maintaining ATP production despite a dearth of nutrients and an oxygen-free environment..."

http://uknow.uky.edu/content/groundbreaking-uk-study-shows-key-enzyme-missing-aggressive-form-breast-cancer

(Click link for full story)

Friday, March 22, 2013

Triple Negative Breast Cancer Clinical Trials

View all trials for early and advanced breast cancer- BreastCancerTrials.org

Several triple negative and advanced breast cancer clinical trials being offered.

https://www.breastcancertrials.org/bct_nation/browse_trials.seam?tid=737981#n737981 (Click on link)

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Kick-Off 2013

Melissa and Inflammatory Breast Cancer
Survivor, Kathleen Walsh.
Kathleen is this year's Making Strides Honoree and
also my friend from The Victory Center

I just love doing the silliest things!

Melissa and Susan Ross Wells,
former 13 ABC News anchor

Look at Who Happened To Be In My Town...

Me and TNBC Sister, Angela

Being a girl from Rochester NY area, I would of never thought Angie Martin be in my neck of the woods on business, just a day after spending a weekend in Seattle C4YW 2013 Conference with her and the other TNBC sisters. We met up for dinner at TGI Fridays for a nice visit... and the deserts were yummy!

Friday, March 15, 2013

My Triple Negative Breast Cancer Sisters Making Dreams Come True...

Video of a couple of my Triple Negative Breast Cancer sisters fulfilling Taira Baughman's wish to be on the Ellen show. Big thank you to Patti Parker-Phillips and Julie Olsen for making this dream happen for our dear Tiara Baughman.

TNBC sister, Taira Baughman
meets Ellen Degeneres

Triple Negative Breast Cancer Sisters:
Patti Parker-Phillips, Taira Baughman and
Julie Olsen on the Ellen Show

TNBC sisters: Taira Baughman, Julie Olsen
and Patti Parker-Phillips in the audience
on the Ellen Show

http://m.clickondetroit.com/news/Breast-cancer-fighter-has-dream-come-true/-/16732600/19164446/-/1308nmxz/-/index.html
(Click link to Tiara's story)

Sunday, March 10, 2013

My TNBCDay Event Raised $605 for the Triple Negative Breast Cancer Foundation...

Thank you very much to all of my supporters who helped spread TNBC awareness during the Inaugural Triple Negative Breast Cancer Awareness Day 3.3.13. My donors put up $605 of the $200,000 raised nationwide during this awareness and fundraising event. Our goal is to fund for research in finding our targeted therapy. We so needed our targeted therapy yesterday, We have lost way too many sisters in our TNBC support group this past year. Fallen young women leaving behind their husbands, small children, their careers, their dreams and their future. I blogged a lot in previous posts about our first TNBCDay leading up till 3.3.13 as part of my event to drawn attention to the young beautiful faces of TNBC. We so need to get the word out there that this disease is more often striking younger women in their 20's, 30's and 40's, and it is aggressive. Early detection starts with breast self exams... know your body, know what is normal for you... If you suspect a lump or a change in your breast, please follow up with your doctor, time is critical when it comes to dealing with Triple Negative Breast Cancer.

TNBC awareness nationwide

I went to Toledo Walleye's Hockey "Pink in the Rink" Breast Cancer Awareness game, with it also being TNBCDay, I decided to take advantage of the opportunity to show my TNBC awareness to such a big crowd of breast cancer supporters. At the game I wrote up a pink sign for TNBCDay and had some fun with it... that sign got around the whole stadium. I was impressed to see that Susan G. Komen and Promedcia Breast Cancer Center both had TNBC litature displayed at the game in support of TNBCDay.

Donations for my event will continue to be accepted through the month of March 2013 by clicking my link:
http://tnbcfoundation.kintera.org/3nday/melissa