Ductal Breast Cancer

I am 83 years old, in excellent health, exercise, always keep busy. Now I have been told I have triple negative **breast cancer**. I am in shock and very frightened. Getting a lumpectomy and probably radiation. All this at this stage of my life!

Triple negative breast **cancer** is a type of breast cancer that does not have any of the three receptors commonly found in breast cancer. It is often treated with a combination of surgeries, such as mastectomy and hysterectomy, especially in patients with BRCA 2 gene mutations. Chemotherapy is also a common treatment option. However, the decision to undergo these treatments can be difficult due to concerns about personal appearance and the fact that they cannot guarantee the cancer won't come back.

Understanding Triple Negative Breast Cancer: What You Need to Know

I was diagnosed with **breast cancer** at 52. Unfortunately, it metastasized to my brain a year later. The symptoms were scary. I had memory loss, confusion, and seizures. But my oncologist caught it early, and we started treatment right away. The radiation therapy and meds have helped manage my symptoms, and I'm grateful for that. If you're experiencing anything similar, don't hesitate to reach out to your healthcare team. 🙏

Seeking Support After Breast Cancer Diagnosis and Seizures

I just got a call from my doctor today that I had to go back in and have blood redrawn for cryo- something or other as I have smudge cells and a very high lymphocyte count… I believe this test that they drew for is to identify if this is a form of leukemia now or if this is related to immune system issue. I have been googling and find that if you have those smudge cells, it’s pretty indicative of CLL… I am not sure if it could be any other type of leukemia with those smudge cells or not and I’m just a bit nervous about what type it may be. I had **breast cancer** 18 years ago and I’m blessed that I am now 70 years old, but it’s always scary knowing you’re confronted face-to-face with your mortality. It was very uplifting to read this testament from this gentleman and how long he has been living with CLL. It will be an estimated three days before I’ll get the results, but I’m already trying to mentally prepare myself so thank you for putting up. Hopeful thought in my head that I can hang onto for a few days.!!