Olympic high jumper Chaunté Lowe, 41, has overcome countless obstacles in her life. The mother of three was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer, an aggressive form of the disease, at age 34. Through it all, she says the encouraging words of her grandmother continue to give her hope in difficult moments.
“The life you’re living right now—the challenges, the storm that feels insurmountable—does not have to dictate your future,” Lowe shared in an Instagram story.
WATCH: Understanding Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
“There are different types of breast cancer, and these are defined by biomarkers,” medical oncologist Dr. Julie Nangia tells SurvivorNet. “The three biomarkers are (ER) estrogen receptor, (PR) progesterone receptor, and HER2, which is a protein.”
When Lowe was diagnosed, she felt great about her health.
“I was fit. I had my three children. I nursed them for 12 months—even while training. I felt great about my health,” Lowe shared on the “Health is Wealth” show.
Lowe’s friend and fellow Olympian, Novlene Williams-Mills, was diagnosed with breast cancer just weeks before the 2012 Games and was told about performing self-breast exams.
WATCH: Getting to know your breasts with self-breast exams
“For some women, especially those with fibrocystic breasts, it can be tricky to tell what’s normal,” explains medical oncologist Dr. Elizabeth Comen. “Their breasts may naturally feel lumpy or bumpy, which is why consistency and awareness are so important.”
Dr. Comen recommends doing a self-exam about once a month—but not right before your period, when breasts can be more swollen or tender. “Many women find it easiest to do in the shower, when the skin is wet and slick,” she adds. “And if you feel something unusual—like a lump in your breast or even in your armpit—it’s important to bring it to your doctor’s attention.”
Years later, when Lowe detected a rice-sized lump in her breast, she grew concerned. She says doctors initially dismissed the small lump as a swollen lymph node, but Lowe got a second medical opinion, which helped her get more testing and an accurate breast cancer diagnosis.
“Due to the very aggressive nature of this type of breast cancer, I would need to complete six rounds of chemotherapy, possibly radiation, and I have a lifetime of monitoring,” Lowe explained to Susan G. Komen, one of the leading breast cancer advocacy and research foundations.
WATCH: Treating Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
“After the initial shock, thinking I was going to die, I found hope. I tapped into what made me strong as an athlete,” she said.
In February 2020, Lowe reached remission, and now she’s been six-free for six years.
Treating Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
SurvivorNet experts say that triple-negative breast cancer often responds well to chemotherapy. Early stages of this disease (stages 1, 2, or 3) mean that the cancer is confined to the breast and/or lymph nodes that are located right under the arm.
“Our primary line of attack is chemotherapy, and this is regardless of the cancer stage,” Dr. Comen said.
Chemotherapy before you have surgery, also called neoadjuvant therapy, has the primary goal of trying to shrink the tumor before the primary treatment is given, which, in the case of breast cancer, is usually surgery.
WATCH: Undergoing Chemo During Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Treatment
In some cases, doctors may recommend chemotherapy after surgery, also known as adjuvant therapy. This additional treatment may be necessary if there are still cancer cells present, or it might be given to lower the risk that the cancer will come back.
There are different chemotherapy options depending on the burden of disease, which refers to how sick someone is with their disease.
“If the disease burden is not too great, meaning that a woman doesn’t have a lot of symptoms, we can often start with oral chemotherapy,” Dr. Comen explains to SurvivorNet.
“After three months of treatment, we can say, how has the response been, has the disease burden decreased, which is what we hope to see, and ideally, we will continue on that treatment for as long as possible. At some point, a woman may become resistant to the treatment that she’s on, which often means IV chemotherapy is next in line.”
The IV chemotherapy cycle can be two weeks on, one week off, alongside monthly doctor visits.
According to Dr. Heather McArthur, previously medical director of breast oncology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, studies suggest that giving these drugs early on in the treatment of metastatic triple-negative breast cancer works better than when taken after chemotherapy.
WATCH: Immunotherapy and Triple Negative Breast Cancer
Clinical trials also suggest that for women with non-metastatic triple-negative breast cancer who received immunotherapy and chemotherapy before surgery, 80 percent of these women had a “pathologically complete response” at the time of surgery, meaning there were no cancer cells left in the breast. These trials led to the approval of Keytruda (pembrolizumab) for the treatment of early-stage triple-negative breast cancer. Keytruda can be used with chemotherapy before surgery and then continued alone after surgery if you are at high risk for your breast cancer returning.
RELATED: Triple-Negative Breast Cancer More Deadly Among Black Women
Genetic Testing to Gauge Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Risk
A research team at Mayo Clinic has identified a group of genes linked to an increased risk of developing triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC)—a discovery that could pave the way for improved screening and earlier detection of this aggressive disease.
“Everybody is nervous about triple-negative breast cancer,” says Dr. Marleen Meyers, a medical oncologist at NYU Perlmutter Cancer Center. “Of all the breast cancers, it’s considered the most aggressive and the most difficult to treat.”
WATCH: Genetic Tests for Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Risk
In the 2018 study involving more than 10,000 people diagnosed with TNBC, researchers found that mutations in five genes—BARD1, BRCA1, BRCA2, PALB2, and RAD51D—were associated with a significantly higher risk of developing the disease. Among Caucasian participants, these mutations also correlated with a greater than 20% lifetime risk for breast cancer overall. Similar patterns were observed in African-American participants.
While this genetic insight is promising, experts caution that only about 10% of breast cancers are hereditary. “Most women who undergo genetic testing won’t test positive for these mutations,” explains Dr. Ophira Ginsburg, Director of the High-Risk Cancer Program at NYU Langone’s Perlmutter Cancer Center.
WATCH: When to Get Genetic Testing?
That’s why genetic testing is typically recommended for women with a strong family history—especially those with relatives who’ve had breast or ovarian cancer, rare cancers, or cancers linked to Lynch Syndrome, a hereditary condition that increases cancer risk. Early identification in these high-risk groups can be critical for prevention and timely treatment.
Breast Cancer Symptoms & Self-Exams
Women are encouraged to do regular self-exams to become familiar with how their breasts feel normally, so when something unusual, like a lump, does form, it can be easily detected. A self-exam includes pressing your fingertips along your breast in a circular motion.
For some women, that means going to their doctor and walking through what a self-breast exam looks like, so they know what normal breast tissue feels like, so if they do feel something abnormal, whether it’s a lump or discharge from the nipple, they know what to ask and what to look for.
Below are common symptoms to look out for:
- New lump in the breast or underarm (armpit)
- Any change in the size or shape of the breast
- Swelling of all or part of the breast
- Skin dimpling or peeling
- Breast or nipple pain
- Nipple turning inward
- Redness or scaliness of the breast or nipple skin
- Nipple discharge (not associated with breastfeeding
When to Screen for Breast Cancer
The medical community has a broad consensus that women should have annual mammograms between the ages of 45 and 54. However, an independent panel of experts called the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) is saying that women should now start getting mammograms every other year at the age of 40, suggesting that this lowered age for breast cancer screening could save 19% more lives.
The American Cancer Society recommends getting a mammogram every other year for women 55 and older. However, women in this age group who want added reassurance can still get annual mammograms.
WATCH: When you’re getting a mammogram, ask about dense breasts.
Women with a strong family history of breast cancer, a genetic mutation known to increase the risk of breast cancer, such as a BRCA gene mutation, or a medical history, including chest radiation therapy before the age of 30, are considered at higher risk for breast cancer.
Experiencing menstruation at an early age (before 12) or having dense breasts can also put you into a high-risk category. If you are at a higher risk of developing breast cancer, you should begin screening earlier.
Questions For Your Doctor
- What stage is my cancer, and how does that affect my treatment plan?
- What are the recommended chemotherapy options for triple-negative breast cancer, and what side effects should I expect?
- Are there any clinical trials or emerging treatments I should consider?
- How will treatment affect my fertility, physical activity, or ability to work?
- What follow-up care and monitoring will I need after treatment ends?
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