Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: Erica's Survivor Story

What happened, in summary

Erica Watson was 51 when pain and a breast lump led to a diagnosis of triple-negative breast cancer. She had stayed current with mammograms and had breast cancer in her family, so the diagnosis still came as a shock. A formal stage was not shared, but her cancer was identified as triple-negative: ER-negative, PR-negative and HER2-negative. Erica leaned heavily on her husband of 34 years, her daughters, granddaughter, sister, friends, church community and Cleveland Clinic care team. About 2 weeks after diagnosis, she started the first of 16 chemotherapy treatments. She then had a lumpectomy, reconstructive surgery and 15 rounds of radiation therapy. Treatment brought hair loss and other challenges, but Erica broke the process into milestones and celebrated each stage when it was complete. She also received emotional and psychological support during care and used scarves, caps and self-care routines to preserve a sense of herself. After chemotherapy, the surgical pathology report showed no evidence of disease. Her tumor was gone, meaning she had a complete response to treatment. As of October 2024, Erica was living as a triple-negative breast cancer survivor, advocating for awareness, especially among Black women, and encouraging others not to postpone using meaningful moments, relationships or possessions for some future “special day.”