Breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancer. Around 1 in 8 women will get it in their lifetime. And about 15% to 25% of those cases will be triple-negative breast cancer, an aggressive form that’s more likely to affect Black women and be diagnosed at an advanced stage.
If you have metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (mTNBC), that means the cancer has spread throughout your body. There’s no cure, but lifelong treatment may ease symptoms and slow cancer growth.
Your daily routine may change as you adapt to life with mTNBC. Ongoing treatment will play a big role, but cancer care isn’t just about cancer. Here’s how to take a whole-body approach to mTNBC.
Stick With Treatment (When You Can)
Triple-negative breast cancers grow faster than other kinds of tumors. If you go long periods between treatment, metastatic disease can quickly spread to areas around the breast, like your lymph nodes or chest wall. Cancer cells can also travel to distant organs like your lungs, liver, bones, and brain.
The farther cancer spreads, the more symptoms and health problems you’re likely to have.
If you can handle chemotherapy or other cancer drugs, it’s best to follow the treatment schedule your doctor gives you. This won’t get rid of the cancer, but it can slow it down and shrink your tumors. As a result, you may live longer and have fewer disease-related symptoms.
With that said, you don’t have to stop living your life. If you tell your doctor about your plans ahead of time, there’s a good chance they can make some changes to your treatment schedule so you don’t miss out on opportunities or important experiences.
You may be able to pause or delay treatment so you can do things like:
- Take a trip or go on vacation.
- Go to a concert or another event.
- Feel your best around holidays.
Your cancer care team wants to help you live the life you want, so tell your doctor what matters most. And keep in mind that you make the final decision about mTNBC treatment, including whether you want it or not.
Learn About Your Health Status
Unlike other forms of breast cancer, mTNBC is usually treated with less targeted forms of chemotherapy. These are strong drugs that can affect the whole body. While these medications can curb cancer cell growth, they can also hurt healthy tissue.
People who get chemotherapy usually need to get regular blood tests, so it’s important to keep all your follow-up visits. These lab tests can show what your cancer is doing or how treatment affects your body. Based on the results, your doctor may decide to pause treatment or change the dose for health and safety reasons.
Find out how drug toxicity from chemotherapy may impact you and how you can manage any issues that come up. Some things you should ask your doctor about include:
- Nausea or throwing up that takes away your appetite
- Painful mouth sores that make it hard to eat
- Higher chance of infection
- Trouble with blood clotting
- Kidney or liver problems
Keep in mind that a big goal of mTNBC treatment is to boost your quality of life. Even if your blood work looks good, tell your doctor about any side effects that make you feel sick or just bad in general. They’ll help you weigh the pros and cons of taking a break from treatment.
Tell Your Doctor Everything
Bring up any mental or physical symptoms that bother you, even if they have nothing to do with your mTNBC or its treatment. The more information, the better. If your cancer doctor doesn’t know how to help, they can refer you to another member of your medical team. You may need to work with a mix of specialists to manage your whole health.
For example, some drugs for mTNBC may lead to lung inflammation. So your doctor might refer you to a lung specialist (a pulmonologist) for treatment. And if you take certain immunotherapy drugs and have a condition like arthritis or inflammatory bowel disease, another health provider can help you manage symptoms related to your autoimmune condition.
You can also ask for palliative care (a type of supportive treatment) at any point after your diagnosis. You may be able to stick with treatment longer when you can better manage symptoms and side effects.
Get Good Nutrition and Stay Hydrated
There’s not a specific diet for metastatic breast cancer. But a healthy eating plan that focuses on nutrient-rich foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains may boost your energy and help you feel better during treatment.
In general, your doctor may suggest you:
- Follow a Mediterranean-style diet
- Add more plant-based foods
- Eat protein-rich meals
- Limit or avoid alcohol
- Quit smoking
- Take certain vitamins and supplements
- Cut back on sugary and ultra-processed foods
You’ll also want to drink plenty of water or other fluids. Avoiding dehydration may help ease fatigue, ward off headaches, and help you poop. But hydration also helps your kidneys, an important organ that processes cancer drugs.
Some treatments for mTNBC can affect your appetite or sense of taste. Some symptoms and side effects can make it harder to eat or swallow. Tell your doctor if that happens to you or you have trouble maintaining your weight. A registered dietitian or nutritionist can help you manage your diet and fluid intake at any point after your diagnosis.
Move Your Body and Relax Your Mind
Regular physical activity can improve your energy, mood, and overall health. As a result, people with breast cancer who exercise tend to have less fatigue and fewer side effects from treatment.
But every day with mTNBC is different, so it’s important to listen to your body and rest when you need to.
Whether through exercise or something else, you’ll want to make space in your day to step away from things that stress you out. There are lots of ways to feel calm, so find what feels right for you. Some examples include:
- Go for a nature walk.
- Try meditation.
- Practice deep breathing or other relaxation techniques.
- Read a book.
- Listen to music.
- Go to the movies.
If you have trouble carving out time for self-care with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer, ask your loved ones to pitch in. Give them concrete ways to help. You can:
- Ask someone to pick your kids up from school.
- Get friends and family to cook or bring over meals.
- Have someone go grocery shopping for you.
- Assign a friend or family member to dog-walking duty.
Care for Your Mental and Emotional Health
Everyone experiences metastatic triple-negative cancer in their own way. But it’s important to take steps to support your emotional health. If your well-being is strong and stable, you may find it easier to move forward with mTNBC treatment or stick with it once you get started.
To support your mental and emotional health with mTNBC, you can:
- Lean on your friends and family for support.
- Do something every day that brings you joy.
- Eat nutritious food that makes you feel good.
- Set aside time to exercise or spend time in nature.
- Add mini-mindfulness breaks throughout the day.
- Join a breast cancer support group.
- Prioritize sleep.
When it comes to getting a good night’s rest, tell your doctor if pain, restless legs, or other physical symptoms keep you up. Prescription sleep aids may also be an option.
Ask for professional help if you have trouble managing the stress of cancer care on your own. Your doctor can refer you to a psychiatrist, psychologist, or other mental health professional who can help you manage what you’re going through.
Show Sources
(Photo Credit: DigitalVIsion/Getty Images)
SOURCES:
Adriana Kahn, MD, assistant professor of medicine (medical oncology), Yale School of Medicine.
Ami Shah, MD, medical oncology, Northwestern Medicine.
American Cancer Society: “Key Statistics for Breast Cancer,” “Treatment of Triple-negative Breast Cancer,” “Chemotherapy Side Effects,” “Understanding Your Complete Blood (CBC) Tests,” Adjusting to Life with Cancer.”
Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences: “Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: A Brief Review About Epidemiology, Risk Factors, Signaling Pathways, Treatment and Role of Artificial Intelligence.”
Cancer.Net: “Coping with Metastatic Cancer.”
Breastcancer.org: “Balancing Responsibilities and Self-Care with Metastatic Breast Cancer.”
National Cancer Institute: “Nutrition in Cancer Care (PDQ) – Patient Version.”
Johns Hopkins Medicine: “Exercise and Breast Cancer.”
MD Anderson Cancer Center: Cancer treatment side effect: “Dehydration.”
