Welcome to Shan's Fam website!! Because this support network includes so many loved ones of Shannon's, we are using this site to keep everyone updated on her journey in one place. We appreciate your support and words of hope and encouragement - please take a look around, check the Ways to Help and Planner sections to lend your support & stay informed. You can post your own words of encouragement in the Well Wishes section.
Shannon was diagnosed with triple-negative, stage 2 breast cancer following an ultrasound & biopsy she received in late September, 2020. Triple negative breast cancer is cancer that tests negative for estrogen receptors, progesterone receptors, and excess HER2 protein. These results mean the growth of the cancer is not fueled by the hormones estrogen and progesterone, or by the HER2 protein. So, triple-negative breast cancer does not respond to hormonal therapy medicines or medicines that target HER2 protein receptors. Still, other medicines are used to successfully treat triple-negative breast cancer. About 10-20% of breast cancers are triple-negative breast cancers. Click here for more information on triple-negative breast cancer:
https://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/diagnosis/trip_neg. There are several factors used in determining the stage of cancer & in Shannon's case, hers is categorized as stage 2 because the tumor is larger than 2 cm but not larger than 5 cm and has not spread to the axillary lymph nodes. Click here for more information on stages:
https://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/diagnosis/staging.The standard treatment recommended is 16-24 weeks of chemotherapy and then surgery to remove any part of the tumor that wasn’t killed off during chemo. The best news is that there is a 90%++ survival rate!
We know Shannon can beat this, but she has a long road ahead - she couldn't do it without all of your support so THANK YOU!!!
