Not Giving Up
- Dorita Donne, 32, was told the lump in her breast was just a benign cyst. One year later, she was diagnosed with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer, or stage 4 cancer.
- The breast cancer thriver lives at home with her partner of six years, Ester Sanna Ferraiolo, whom she met when she managed one of famed, TV Chef Gordon Ramsay’s restaurants.
- While there is technically no cure for metastatic breast cancer, there are a wide variety of treatment options used to battle the disease including hormone therapy, chemotherapy, targeted drugs, immunotherapy and a combination of various treatments.
To make matters much worse, the native Italianwho now lives in Londoncould not attend her father’s funeral due to the urgency of having to start treatment.
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Ester went on to explain that her love “began her journey with hope” and was able to get into a clinical trial for treatment, which she initially did well on.
"But after seven cycles, she stopped responding to the therapy," Ester shared. "She has now started palliative care but she hasn't given up. We remain focused on finding anything in the world that might turn out to be the cure."
Related: It's Time We Cleared Up Some Misconceptions About Palliative Care
The couple then learned about CAR T-cell therapy, an expensive treatment that is showing hope in metastatic triple negative patientsbut it costs over $340,000.
CAR T-Cell Therapy Why Finding the Right Cancer Center Matters
"We want to be able to have funds available for treatment at short notice because time is the most important thing when it comes to cancer treatments," Ester said. She set up a GoFundMe fundraiser to try to do just that.
"But in addition to using the money for treatment, I also want to make Dorita happy. I've asked her to start putting together a bucket list and there are many places she wants to see and restaurants she wants to visit.”
One of those dreams that Dorita put on her bucket list is marriage.
They are far away from their families and only have each other. Stress is building due to finances and they would also love to move into a bigger place where loved ones can come stay.
Luckily, generous donations have poured in so far, even a $60,000 donation from an Italian savings bank called Cassa di Risparmio di Ravenna Foundation.
Unfortunately, paying for cancer treatment, and life for that matter, is one of the most stressful things about facing the disease, according to many patients.
"One of the reasons we decided to be open about our story is because this is not the type of illness you can fight alone," Ester said. "Each donation is like a message from some saying 'you're not alone and I want to fight with you'. And it's important for Dorita to see that.”
Living With Metastatic Breast Cancer
Metastatic breast cancer also called stage 4 breast cancermeans 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.
Triple negative breast cancer means that your cancer is not being fueled by any of the three main types of receptorsestrogen, progesterone nor the Her2 protein. Because of this, the cancer won't respond to certain targeted therapies. Chemotherapy is typically the treatment and there are several options.
If the cancer is advanced, like with Dorita’s health condition, your doctor may also recommend participation in a clinical trial that involves immunotherapy or targeted therapies.
Management of Metastatic Breast Cancer
It is important to know that here are so many breast cancer survivors and people living with advanced disease today.
And while there is technically no cure for metastatic breast cancer as we mentioned, there are a wide variety of treatment options used to battle the disease including hormone therapy, chemotherapy, targeted drugs, immunotherapy and a combination of various treatments.
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
Financial Stress and Cancer
It's rare for health insurance to pay for 100 percent of your cancer treatment. It's something most people struggle with. However, there are resources that you may not know about.
How to Get Help With the Cancer Bills
For example, it's common for doctors to get on the phone and advocate on your behalf with your insurance company. Many drug companies and clinical trials also offer patient assistance programs. You may be eligible for these.
The social workers at your cancer care clinic can help guide you through the various options. Patient advocacy groups are also willing to help in several waysand your church or social group may be another source of support.
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