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About UsCauses For A Cure has been hosting fund raising events since May, 2011. We are passionate to fund research to develop a targeted therapy in hopes of saving young women's lives.
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Who We Are |
Causes for a Cure is a 501c3 non-profit charity founded by Betty Sommer in loving memory of her daughter, Stacey Gaecke. Stacey’s life was taken much too early by Triple Negative Breast Cancer at age 39 in February, 2010.
Our organization was created in February, 2011. It consists of five professionals in their fields who are passionately committed to making a difference in finding the cause of cancer and lending a hand to those in need. In our first our years, this small grassroots organization has made great strides and was able to significantly contribute to breast cancer research and families in the community. To date, we have donated $310k to cancer research and $417k to individuals within our community walking through cancer. |
About TNBC |
Triple-negative breast cancer is different from the three more common types of breast cancer. It is harder to treat and is very aggressive.Because it is aggressive and rare, battling triple-negative breast cancer can be difficult, and fewer treatment options are available.
Even though TNBC doesn’t usually respond to treatment with hormone therapy, new medications called poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitors are offering researchers hope. Finding a better treatment for TNBC is a major focus of breast cancer research. In fact, research has found that there are six different subtypes of TNBC. Each one has its own abnormalities, but drugs geared toward those unique abnormalities are helping people with TNBC. Even though TNBC can be an especially aggressive type of breast cancer, your doctor may or may not recommend aggressive treatment. There is no standard recommendation for treating TNBC. Studies have shown that triple-negative breast cancer is more likely to spread beyond the breast and more likely to recur (come back) after treatment. These risks appear to be greatest in the first few years after treatment. For example, a study of more than 1,600 women in Canada published in 2007 found that women with triple-negative breast cancer were at higher risk of having the cancer recur outside the breast — but only for the first 3 years. Other studies have reached similar conclusions. As years go by, the risks of the triple-negative breast cancer recurring become similar to those risk levels for other types of breast cancer. Five-year survival rates also tend to be lower for triple-negative breast cancer. A 2007 study of more than 50,000 women with all stages of breast cancer found that 77% of women with triple-negative breast cancer survived at least 5 years, versus 93% of women with other types of breast cancer. Another study of more than 1,600 women published in 2007 found that women with triple-negative breast cancer had a higher risk of death within 5 years of diagnosis, but not after that time period. The recurrence and survival figures in these and other studies are averages for all women with triple-negative breast cancer. Factors such as the grade and stage of the breast cancer will influence an individual woman’s prognosis. Tends to be higher grade than other types of breast cancer. The higher the grade, the less the cancer cells resemble normal, healthy breast cells in their appearance and growth patterns. On a scale of 1 to 3, triple-negative breast cancer often is grade 3. Usually is a cell type called “basal-like.” “Basal-like” means that the cells resemble the basal cells that line the breast ducts. This is a new subtype of breast cancer that researchers have identified using gene analysis technology. Like other types of breast cancer, basal-like cancers can be linked to family history, or they can happen without any apparent family link. Basal-like cancers tend to be more aggressive, higher grade cancers — just like triple-negative breast cancers. It’s believed that most triple-negative breast cancers are of the basal-like cell type. It’s important to remember that no one, not even your doctor, can forecast exactly how your breast cancer will progress or respond to treatment. Survival rates are based on statistics, but everybody has an individual experience with the disease that cannot be predicted. |
IN LOVING MEMORY
Stacey Gaecke
2010 |
Randa Gatlin
2013 |
Sevie Sue Dean
2014 |
Elva Venegas
2016 |
Amy Ewert
2016 |
Melissa Gilbert
2017 |
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