Remembering Nightbirde
- Jane Marczewski, known by her stage name Nightbirde, quickly became a beloved contestant on “America’s Got Talent” in 2021. After battling metastatic breast cancer, the inspiring artist died in 2022 at 31.
- Marczewski’s family is honoring her on the first anniversary of her death, releasing the artists’s debut album, a 10-track record called “It’s OK.”
- Metastatic breast cancer — or stage four breast cancer — has spread beyond the breasts to other parts of the body. While there is no cure, doctors have lots of advanced options to treat this stage of disease.
- One development that may be life-changing for some breast cancer patients is the new classification of HER2-low, which means women previously classified as HER2-negative may now qualify for treatments like Enhertu.
The singer, born Jane Marczewski, died in 2022 at 31 after being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2017.
Read More“Jane would be so proud of this album, but more than that, she’d be proud of the work that the Nightbirde Foundation is doing to help others find hope and healing in the midst of tragedy.”
The album takes listeners through “the dualities of emotions Jane constantly spoke to.”
“Nightbirde (born Jane Marczewski) recorded each song during her journey with cancer and it’s a ‘reflection of her strength and the battle she was fighting in her own words,'” a post from her official Instagram account reads. “The album is split between an A and B side, with the first being a pop album and the second side featuring the same songs in a stripped-back version.”
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The Nightbirde Foundation was created by Jane and Mitch as a way to help other young breast cancer warriors through grants.
“By partnering with integrative clinics, we give grants to get initial consultations for their breast cancer diagnosis,” the foundation’s website reads. “By helping people get in the door, we can help women chart a path forward.
“Jane wouldn’t have been able to afford getting a consultation had she not been supported by the generosity of others. We want to do the same.”
Proceeds from the album will go to The Nightbirde Foundation.
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Performing With Metastatic Breast Cancer
Jane Marczewski’s was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2017 when doctors found a 4-centimeter tumor. She underwent six rounds of chemotherapy and a double mastectomy for treatment.
She was later diagnosed with stage four, or metastatic, breast cancer on New Year’s Eve in 2019 (which was also her birthday). She had tumors all over her body – on her liver, lungs, lymph nodes, ribs and spine – and doctors estimated she had just three to six months to live. But Nightbirde wasn’t going to let a poor prognosis define her.
Marczewski inspired millions of “America’s Got Talent” viewers when she competed on season 16 of the show and delievered a beautiful and moving performance. During her audition, she told audiences that she “had some cancer in my lungs, spine and my liver.”
“I have a 2% chance of survival, but 2% is not 0%,” she said on the show. “Two percent is something, and I wish people knew how amazing it is.”
Nightbirde amassed a huge following after auditioning with her original song “It’s Ok” and receiving a coveted “Golden Buzzer” to advance directly to the Live Shows. She withdrew from the competition weeks later to focus on her health.
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“Sharing my heart with the world on AGT has been an honor and a dream come true,” she captioned an emotional Instagram post. “My point of view this summer has been astounding. What a miracle that the pain I’ve walked through can be reworked into beauty that makes people all over the world open their eyes wider.
“Since my audition, my health has taken a turn for the worse and the fight with cancer is demanding all of my energy and attention. I am so sad to announce that I won’t be able to continue forward on this season of AGT. Life doesn’t always give breaks to those that deserve it—but we knew that already. Thank you for all your support, it means the world to me. Stay with me, I’ll be better soon. I’m planning my future, not my legacy. Pretty beat up, but I’ve still got dreams.”
Nightbirde continued to inspire others with her words of wisdom. While she died on Feb. 19, 2022, her legacy as a breathtaking talent, a fierce optimist and a kind soul carries on to this day.
“That ability to almost have permission to say ‘what I’m going through sucks, but I’m not gonna let what I’m going through be the thing that defines my day or my future.’ … I think that’s something that Jane’s story hopefully, you know, can inspire,” her brother, Mitch Marczewski, told SurvivorNet.
Understanding Metastatic Breast Cancer
Metastatic breast cancer – also called “stage four” breast cancer – means that the cancer has spread, or metastasized, beyond the breasts to other parts of the body. It most commonly spreads to the bones, liver and lungs, but it may also spread to the brain or other organs.
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And while there is technically no cure for metastatic breast cancer, there are a wide variety of treatment options, hormone therapy, chemotherapy, targeted drugs, immunotherapy and a combination of various treatments. Your treatment plan can depend on your specific circumstances and your doctor’s assessment, but it’s important to focs on the treatment that will help improve your quality of life.
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In a previous interview with SurvivorNet, Dr. Elizabeth Comen, an oncologist with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, explained how she tries to manage breast cancer when it has progressed to a later stage.
“With advanced disease, the goal of treatment is to keep you as stable as possible, slow the tumor growth and improve your quality of life,” she said.
HER2-Low, A New Classification Of Breast Cancer, Expands The Use Of Enhertu For Metastatic Patients
The American Cancer Society reports that there were more than 4 million women with a history of invasive breast cancer alive on Jan. 1, 2022. Some of the women were cancer-free, and others still had evidence of the disease. But American Cancer also reported that more than 150,000 breast cancer survivors are living with metastatic disease, three-fourths of whom were originally diagnosed with stage I-III.
And with ongoing advancements in treatments and options out there today that can dramatically reduce symptoms, there are many reasons to be hopeful.
One major advancement that could be life-changing for some breast cancer patients is the reclassification of some advanced breast cancers as HER2-“low.” This new classification could mean that women previously classified as HER2-negative could qualify for certain treatments.
During an interview on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” Dr. Comen highlighted an exciting treatment for this new classification of metastatic breast cancer patients.
“One of the most challenging types of cancer to treat is metastatic breast cancer,” Dr. Comen said. “And a new treatment, an FDA approved treatment, called Enhertu or T-DXd is being used to improve the survival of patients with a new classification of metastatic breast cancer called HER2-low metastatic breast cancer,” said Dr. Comen. “So, for anybody watching if they or their loved one has metastatic breast cancer, it’s critical that they ask their doctor, ‘Do I have HER2-low breast cancer and might this be an appropriate treatment for me?”
HER2 And Breast Cancer
Generally speaking, HER2 is a protein that helps the breast cancer cells grow quickly. The presence of this protein in breast cancers has traditionally been separated into two groups: positive or negative. But about 50% of patients fell somewhere in the middle of these classifications.
Breast cancer cells with higher than normal levels of HER2 are called HER2-positive, found in 15-20% or all breast tumors. While they tend to grow faster, they are much more likely to respond to treatment with drugs that target the HER2 protein.
HER2-low cancers do not meet the threshold for HER2 positive tumors, but they still have a minimal amount of HER2 expression. So with the new grouping, HER2-low patients that may have previously been classified as HER2-negative may have the ability to take advantage of life-changing treatments like Enhertu, which can extend overall survival rates.
Enhertu is a targeted therapy approach called an antibody-drug conjugate, or ADC. This means that Enhertu is made up of a monoclonal antibody chemically linked to a drug. The monoclonal antibody portion of an antibody-drug conjugate binds to specific proteins or receptors found on certain types of cells (including cancer cells) and then the linked drug enters the cells and kills them without harming other cells.
Trastuzumab is the antibody for Enhertu and durexecan is the payload, or chemo. Trastuzumab binds to the HER2 proteins in the cancer cells and then durexecan prevents the cells’ DNA from replicating.
Right now, Enhertu can be used in patients with HER2-positive and HER2-low metastatic breast cancer.
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