MYTH: If my MBC treatment stops working, I did something wrong.

TRUTH: Treatments can become less effective as cancer cells evolve.

If their treatment stops working, people living with cancer often wonder, “Is it because of something that I did?”

The fact is, cancer is like a moving target. Our treatments have to be changed because the biological makeup of our tumors change.

This is a biological shift, not a personal failure. Treatments need to be changed even if you endure the side effects and you tolerate the de-escalation or escalation of your medication dose. You can be on the same treatment for years, and you can still have progression.

Remember: you didn’t fail. Your treatment line needed to be changed because the biological makeup of your tumors changed. It’s not a personal failure.

Stephanie Walker, RN BSN, is a patient advocate living with metastatic breast cancer. She currently serves as Chair of the MBC Alliance.

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