Triple Negative Breast Cancer, "I Won't Back Down!": June 2019

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.

Sunday, June 23, 2019

YSC Conference Orlando 2018

Warm weather, palm trees,
and cool cars!

Celebrating 20 years of young survival coalition

YSC CEO, Jennifer Merschdorf

#SquirrelPack4Life YSC reunion

Melissa and Dusty

Tammy, Melissa and Dusty

Until we see you again, Dusty

Tammie and TNBC sisters, Angie Martin, Melissa,
Alex and Jeanna

TNBC sisters Melissa and Karen Koon

Breast Cancer survivors
Tammie and Melissa
#KissThis4MBC

Breast Cancer can
#KissThis4MBC!

#KissThis4MBC campaign

Kick Ass Survivor Melissa
advertising for Healing Heels
https://www.healing-heels.com

Kick Ass (in heels)

A Story Half Told
Remembering Jill Cohen
https://www.storyhalftold.com/meet-jill-cohen

TNBC sisters Melissa, Jeanna, Sara and Lisa
advertising for Triple Negative Breast Cancer
Foundation and promoting #TNBCDay
https://www.tnbcfoundation.org

TNBC sisters with Roxanne on right

TNBC sisters Melissa and Laura D'Alessandro

TNBC sisters Melissa and Joanne Hayashi
"3 negative"

TNBC sisters Melissa and
Alison Mcquillan

TNBC sisters forever!
Angela Martin and Melissa

TNBC Sisters Angie, Melissa
and Laura

TNBC sisters Melissa and
Laura Shepard

Breast Cancer survivors
Melissa and Carol Capelan

Love this group of YSC survivor sisters!

Lookie here:
HOPE in Triple Negative Breast Cancer

Immunomedics pipeline,
Hope in Triple Negative Breast Cancer

Preliminary data shows clinical benefit in patients
with mTNBC with Sacituzumab goviitecan
targeting Trop-2, an epithelial antigen expressed
on many solid tumors

ASCENT Phase 3 study recruiting
Metastatic TNBC patients
http://tnbctrial.com

Metastatic Triple Negative Breast Cancer Background:

- 15% of all breast cancer cases

- Aggressive with poor prognosis

- Short response with rapid relapse,

visceral and brain mets are common

- Progression-free survival of 1.7 to 3.7 months

- Median overall survival of 10 to 13 months

2017 Current studies of Standard of care
treatments for mTNBC:

- Carboplatin

- Docetaxel

- Cisplatin/carboplatin

- Ixabepilone

- Capecitabine

- Eribulin

Breast cancer sisters, Terlisa Sheppard
and Melissa

I love the 90's theme
TNBC sisters Melissa and Jeanna Holler

Breast cancer sisters Melissa
and Susan Portnoy

CEO of Young Survival Coalition,
Jennifer Merschdorf and Melissa

20 years of Young Survival Coalition!
Breast cancer sisters Melissa and Kelsey

In memory of YSC sisters
Lisa Barmettler and
Juls Raschal

Breast cancer sisters Jocelyn Banks
from the SCAR Project and
http://www.mommyhasbreastcancer.org
and Melissa

Breast cancer sisters Shay Sharpe,
Melissa and Nikki Tripplett

TNBC sisters Melissa Richardson
and Melissa Paskvan

Breast cancer sisters Miri Mogilevsky
and Melissa

Speaker Julie Larson on what's NORMAL
in surviving breast cancer

Speaker Julie Larson on "And at the same time..."

Unconditionally love Life!

My forever #SquirrelPack4Life
Dusty, Melissa, Mary Peters, Jeanna, Angie Martin,
Alexandra , Sara, Lisa and Tammie

Thursday, June 20, 2019

Congrats Angelique on your Defense in TNBC Research

"Angelique, I am so impressed with your research in TNBC from your compound discovery to cause cancer cells to burst and flatten, reversing multi-drug resistance in metastatic TNBC when added to existing drugs, no significant changes in toxicity in mice models and reducing size and weight of the tumor. This is huge for us survivors in the TNBC Community. As a 10 year survivor of Triple Negative Breast Cancer, the fear of recurrence is real, all of us survivors fear it. I have seen too many TNBC sisters pass after exhausting many clinical trials and a fierce battle.

I am excited in the direction your research is going, this gives us much hope that this may be our targeted therapy."

June 2019, Angelique has successfully defended her research defense in her doctoral thesis from Dr. Tiwari's lab on ‘Discovery of novel necroptosis inducers for triple negative breast cancer therapy’. Congrats Dr. Angelique on this incredible honor and receiving your PhD. - Melissa

Angelique's Defense

Angelique and Melissa

Saturday, June 15, 2019

Living Beyond Breast Cancer Philly Conference 2016

In September 2016, I attended Living Beyond Breast Cancer Conference that was co-hosted by the Triple Negative Breast Cancer Conference in Philadelphia. One of the best things about this conference is that there is a couple of TNBC sessions covering medical updates on Triple Negative Breast Cancer and a group discussion among TNBC survivors about their challenges they face during their journeys. As always, I enjoy talking with the ladies of the TNBC Foundation and meeting new people to support and for support!

Dining with the ladies of TNBC Foundation

Arlene and Amy of TNBC Foundation
https://www.tnbcfoundation.org

The ladies of TNBC Foundation
Arlene, Annie and Amy

Melissa with ladies of TNBC Foundation,
Arlene and Amy

Melissa and the ladies of TNBC Foundation
promoting TNBC Awareness Day
Arlene, Hayley, Melissa, Allison and Amy

Triple Negative Breast Cancer sisters,
Hikisha Kirven Harris and Melissa
Author of her book, The Survivor Kit:
Cancer Doesn't Have Any Hold On Me!

Triple Negative Breast Cancer sisters,
Hikisha Kirven Harris and Melissa

Triple Negative Breast Cancer sisters,
Laura Tuzio Ross, Melissa Paskvan
and Patti Petretta

Triple Negative Breast Cancer sisters,
Patty Petretta, Terry,
Addys and Melissa

Triple Negative Breast Cancer sisters,
Melissa and Laura Tuzio Ross

Ladies of TNBC Foundation
with Ricki Fairley speaking

TNBC survivors in attendance

Pamela, Mavis, Addys, Ricki, Melissa Berry,
Melissa Paskvan, Hayley Dinerman,
Arlene Brothers, Annie Hausmann
and Tomika Bryant
Supporters and the ladies of the Triple Negative
BreastCancer Foundation