TNBC - advice/reassurance?

Hey! You have almost exactly the same story as me, I’m 3 months into chemo though. So I’m triple negative too, grade 3 stage 2. My lump was also 3cm it appeared literally over night it felt like I suddenly had this hard lump when I was showering that wasn’t there days before but this is the problem with triple negative it’s an extremely aggressive one unfortunately most triple negative are grade 3. I’m only stage 2 because of the size so it’s likely from what you described that’s where you will sit. I had to have 2 sets of biopsies on my lymph nodes as mine are very inflamed and they still haven’t wanted to rule out anything there they’ve said they will know for sure at surgery stage. I’m seeing this as them being extra thorough I would rather it this way than being told I’m clear and it being missed. 

i had to wait about 2/3 weeks from oncology to first chemo session my guess is they will give you carbo and paxo with immunotherapy for 3 months (this is weekly)  followed by 3 months of ec (the Red Devil) I’ve found the first lot ok I’m 9 weeks in and it’s just starting to get me now but everyone is different!

sending positive thoughts xx

Thanks so much for replying - much appreciated.   I know I'm a bit dim but can you tell me what ec is?? I know nothing about any of it at the moment and I'm determined not to use Dr Google! I'm waiting for oncology to explain further.  Positivity to you too! 

So it’s different types of chemo I can’t for the life of me remember the full name of the drug (welcome to the world of chemo brain!!) honestly it’s not dim at all I had no idea that there were so many variants of breast cancer and chemo drugs until I was diagnosed this is a crazy world we are living. 

Hi Nells0161

Welcome to the forum, I Daisy53 one of the Community Champions on this forum.  I'm sorry to hear that you have been diagnosed with grade 3 triple negative breast cancer.  As you are inquiring about EC Chemo I'm sending you a link from this website which explains what EC Chemo is.  Here's the link: EC Chemotherapy | Macmillan Cancer Support.

I was diagnosed with grade 3 triple negative breast cancer with lymph node involvement over four years ago and after having chemo, surgery and radiotherapy I made a full recovery.  I did have a small recurrence over a year ago and it was removed successfully and I am now cancer free.

Wishing you the best of luck with your treatment.

Best wishes

Daisy53

Daisy, if you don’t mind me asking, how did they pick up the small recurrence? Was it with a mammogram or something else? 

Thanks Daisy!  So encouraging to hear this xx

Hi Nells0161,

i also seem to have the same diagnosis as you. TNBC, grade 3.

I was confirmed stage 2 with no lymph node involvement (the radiographer said no biopsy necessary although there was one lymph node which was slightly swollen. As already mentioned by 521628, they will know for sure during surgery (in my case lumpectomy) if any lymph nodes are affected. I followed up with the doctor on this only recently and he admitted that he thinks it is likely that the swollen lymph node means that the cancer cells have spread there, although during ultrasound they were confident it hadn’t)…

 I was diagnosed 29 Oct 24 and started my 1st round of chemo on 14 Nov (carboplatin, paclitaxel, pembrolizumab) followed by weekly 1day treatment for  two weeks (paclitaxel only). I started my 3rd round today.  After 4 rounds completed, I will switch to EC (epirubicin) for 3 months so the same as 521628. I am under 50 years of age, small B cup, 3 cm tumour in left breast, all genetic testing was found negative, no family history of any cancer. After my 1st round i had to have a 3 week break for my liver results to improve before starting round 2. Otherwise I have had no noticeable side effects so far except bone pain and fatigue from the white blood cell injections.

Hi Nells0161, 

just to add for completeness, i am using a cold cap so of course have had some hair loss as a side effect of chemo treatment.

Hi Daisy hope you are doing well? Can I ask how your reoccurrence was picked up? Was this through an MRI? Or something you had noticed yourself? I am 2.5 years post TNBC diagnosis and am a BRCA1 carrier so am always concerned about reoccurrence and what to be aware of? Are you offered MRI’s yearly? 
Many thanks 

Lou x

Hi Jess72

Sorry for not replying sooner.  They picked it up when I had a CT Scan.