Health update

As documented in this blog, over the last few weeks I have had a number of hospital appointments to chart my progress. The first appointment was with my oncology team. My specialist is one of the top oncologists in the country and we were lucky to secure an appointment with him. I had not yet had my scan, so there was little evidence to digest, however, he was pleased to see that I was looking healthy and commented that he was happy to be wrong with his "months not years" prognosis (which has already expired).  

That's only part of the picture though. 

The other team I am under the care of, is the brain team. My surgeon is a highly talented brain tumour specialist who orders periodic scans to monitor any changes in my brain.
As my cancer is a "secondary" to the brain, this means that it has spread beyond its original location (the breast) and is made up of Triple Negative breast cancer cells that happen to be in the brain*.


A key characteristic of this type of cancer is its rate of growth. Most Triple Negative breast cancers are grade 3, the most aggressive kind, and have an extremely high likelihood of coming back very quickly. This is partly because the hormonal treatments don't work. In other words, a Triple Negative breast cancer diagnosis means that the tumour is negative for oestrogen receptors, progesterone receptor-negative and HER2-negative. That's why it's called "Triple Negative" breast cancer.

*Most cancers have a usual journey through the body and breast cancer cells are more likely to spread to the lymph nodes or the liver. Less common is a secondary tumour or tumours in the brain as I have. Mine moved from the breast (discovered in November 2013) to the brain ("secondary" diagnosed in May 2015) and I was diagnosed as "terminal" in October 2015. 

So where am I at?

For now I'm OK. If the scan is clear that is fabulous but temporary news; the oncologist has warned that the tumour is highly likely to come back sooner rather than later. If it's not clear, then we need to explore the options for further surgery. 

So, I'm taking each day as it comes. If I get a further reprieve, I will squeeze in as much life as I can, as life is SO precious. I don't intend to waste a second of it.

Amanda