The passing of Fran Robinson
By Nic McLean

June 19, 2009–(Washington DC)–I never actually met Fran Robinson. We happen to be two African-American women in the DC metro area, who belonged to the same social group. But we never had a chance to meet face to face. When I was diagnosed with breast cancer in July of 2008, Fran’s name was shared with me as someone I could reach out to for support and understanding. Fran was also a breast cancer survivor, so she made herself available to help other sisters with the disease navigate through the emotional firestorm.

I remember hearing her name from the leader of the group as someone I should reach out to. At the time that it was suggested that we get together, I was a pitiful, emotional wreck. I could barely hold my head up most days and I cried and cried and cried. Every thought I had, had a tear with it. I wasn’t up for “company” and I couldn’t bear the thought of trying to put on a brave face to meet someone new – even over the phone, even someone else who had fought the same fight. My pain was too raw to be shared.

Time went on, as it does, and I found a little bit of peace in dealing with my treatment. I got into the groove of getting well. Chemotherapy every two weeks, then a mastectomy and finally radiation treatment. Months went by and I forgot to go back and reach out to Fran. Honestly, I thought – as young, mindless people tend to do – that I had time. I didn’t know there was some urgency that should have propelled me to talk to her. I thought I had time.

But what I didn’t know was that my sister Fran was a triple negative breast cancer fighter. And triple negative is much more deadly than other forms of breast cancer. Triple negative breast cancer means that the hormone receptors that typically fuel the cancer tumors, estrogen, progesterone and HER2 are lacking. That is important because without knowing what fuels the cancer, doctors are unable to use a lot of very effective medical treatments to knock out the cancer.

Cancer treatment, I’m learning, is sort of like layering ammunition. For example, in my case, I had chemotherapy which shrunk my tumors and killed cancer cells one way. Then I had a mastectomy to remove the tumors from my breast and lymph nodes. Finally, I went through radiation treatment to further eradicate any possible remaining cancer cells. The layering of treatments helps to ensure that no cancer cells are left behind and allowed to grow again. With triple negative breast cancer, hormone treatments won’t work. The hormone based treatments for HER2 positive cancer, and estrogen-driven cancer have no effect on triple negative cancer because the cancer isn’t fueled by hormones. So, the treatments are limited to chemotherapy which is fine for killing the cancer. But it cannot stop the cancer from growing again. And with all of us cancer patients, when cancer comes back, treating it is more difficult and much harder to do.

Fran was triple negative and I did not know that. And maybe if I wasn’t so caught up in my own misery I would have talked to her and found that out. As it was, while I was recuperating from my mastectomy surgery in January, Fran was getting sick. On Inauguration Day, as Fran attempted to drive to the Mall to witness history, she was struck with a bad headache. Rather than ignore it, she sought medical attention.

That headache turned out to be a brain tumor. Her cancer had returned and although she had surgery in February to remove the brain tumor, the cancer eventually spread to her liver and her lungs. We lost Fran on June 5^th. The day before the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in Washington, DC, talk about irony.

Fran’s death hit me hard because we have the same disease. While my disease isn’t triple negative, that is the reality for many black women with breast cancer. Black women are less likely to get breast cancer than white women. However, we are more likely to die from it. We’re more likely to have the dreaded triple negative cancer. We are more likely to find our cancer at an advanced stage. And we’re also more likely to hesitate or refuse treatment for our cancer.

I wanted to tell Fran’s story because she deserves the honor of being lifted up for the world to notice. She was a beautiful sister, a wife, a mother, a friend to many. She loved me from a distance and I am returning the favor.

My sisters are not very aware that breast cancer can and does kill us. Triple negative breast cancer is deadly. It is rare and it is very aggressive. It does not care what our dreams are or our fears… it wants to kill us. Young black women, like most young women, don’t imagine that cancer could have their name. But it just might.

For Fran and for myself… I ask and beg you… check your breasts and fight, fight, fight!!

Nic Mclean

Nic McLean is an African-American woman who is a Breast Cancer Survivor. Please read her Survivorship story here on the Fight Pink Site!  Nic lives in the Washington D.C. Metro area, and is a contributing writer to Fight Pink.  Nic will be writing about Breast Cancer and the African American Population. Fight Pink is very honored to have Nic contributing to our organization.  Please visit Nic’s Blog to read more about Nic McLean.