'I've been on just about every treatment that's available for advanced breast cancer.' What one woman who's been battling breast cancer for 19 years tells people who are just starting treatment:
It's been 19 years since I was diagnosed with stage IV breast cancer. I'm one of the long-timers. I'm so very grateful for that. Yet I've lost so many friends and family members to this disease along the way. I've been in the hospital with them, holding their hands.
My breast surgeon did the biopsy. I had a stage III, triple-positive breast cancer. Because I was 8 1/2 months pregnant, my doctor said I should get induced and have the baby early, and then get treatment. I had aggressive chemotherapy to try to shrink the tumor before having surgery.The treatment did stop my cancer, but it was very aggressive. I was in remission for under 2 years. Then I developed pain in my back, which I thought was from lifting my babies.
One of the first things I tell people who are starting breast cancer treatment is to advocate for yourself and learn all you can about your cancer. Twenty-two years ago when I was diagnosed, none of my friends, family, or co-workers understood my cancer. Neither did I. How could I advocate for myself when I didn't know what to talk about?
Definitely try to get into a clinical trial. There hasn't been a large percentage of the Black community in clinical trials. How else can we learn about drugs like Herceptin, which saved my life?Breast cancer treatments cause side effects. I don't minimize my side effects, but I try to be as realistic about them as possible.
France Dernières Nouvelles, France Actualités
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