I have Stage IIB invasive breast cancer. Getting the diagnosis is surreal, but getting diagnosed in the midst of a pandemic has made processing the diagnosis a truly bizarre experience.
Here's when and how I learned...
I felt a lump, got scheduled to see a GYN the following week (March 2nd). The week after the radiology report said my BI-RADS score was 5 - which translates to about a 95% chance I had cancer. Several days after that I had a biopsy and it confirmed the cancer.
For those of you who want more detail, see below...
I’m a bit of a research freak, so I’ll share with you links to info along the way. Stage 2 because it’s larger than 2cm (mine is 2.3 so I was right on the line). But it’s still good that it has not spread to the lymph nodes and the “B” because I’m beautiful. Just kidding. The B because it's triple-negative.
The type of cancer I have is notable: Triple-negative breast cancer. About 15% of women have this type. It’s a very aggressive form and is more common in African American women (a sistah can’t get a break).
Most likely (I’ll confirm this with the doctor next week), I will start chemo in 2 weeks. It lasts for several months, and then after that I’ll have a lumpectomy, followed by radiation. If I have the BRCA mutation, my surgeries will be more extensive.
What is the BRCA genetic mutation (I can't stop thinking about Ninja Turtles when I write that) and why does it matter? You’ve probably heard of women talking about it. Celebrities like Angelina Jolie had the mutation and preemptively had her breasts and ovaries surgically removed. The reason is that…
Women with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 genetic mutation:
-have a 69% to 72% risk of developing breast cancer in their lifetimes
-have a much higher-than-average lifetime risk of ovarian cancer; estimates range from 17% to 44%
-have a much higher-than-average risk of developing a new, second breast cancer after an initial diagnosis
I was tested for it on Friday 3/27 and the results will be in next Friday. To my knowledge, none of my other family members have been tested.
The reason I and my doctor wanted me tested is that it’s more common in women with Triple-Negative breast cancer AND I have a close family member who had metastatic cancer - my father.
So now you know all that I know. I'm trying to be pretty open about this process. So I'll keep you posted as things progress.
If you want to comment, please be sensitive. If you want to make corrections to what I've said, I ask that you do it privately. Message me directly because I don't want misinformation to spread.
Thanks for caring and your prayers. -Nina