The early months of the pandemic brought lots of unusual sites in 2020, but one of the most adorable ones was this: Jack Coleman, dancing on the grass outside of Atrium Health Levine Cancer Institute - Pineville. Sometimes, his children danced at his side. This wasn’t just a small dance, mind you; they performed all-out, joyous, bootie-shaking dances, blowing kisses all the while. Their audience was inside: Rifka Coleman – Jack’s wife, the kids’ mom – a 37-year-old mother of six in treatment for triple-negative breast cancer. She couldn’t bring anyone to treatments due to the visitation policies to minimize COVID-19 exposures. So Rifka would grab a chair by the window and spend infusions smiling at the dancers who reminded her she wasn’t alone.
Two years later, Rifka is on the other side of chemotherapy and has no evidence of disease. She’s feeling much stronger; her hair’s grown back. She says it’s her turn to support those who are going through cancer treatments, to remind them they’re not alone.
“A cancer diagnosis can be so lonely,” Rifka says. “I try to help people find the silver lining. Even in the midst of darkness, there will always be a little light. It doesn’t mean people can’t feel bad or have bad moments – we have joy because of sadness! I’m trying to bring hope that there is life after cancer.”
What is Triple-Negative Breast Cancer?
Triple-negative breast cancer is relatively rare – it’s about 10% of total breast cancer diagnoses – but it’s most frequently found in women under forty and Black and Hispanic women. It’s an aggressive cancer that’s defined by what it doesn’t have. Triple-negative breast cancer doesn’t have the three receptors usually found in breast cancer: estrogen, progesterone or the HER2 protein. Because treatments usually target those receptors, this is a difficult cancer to treat. These treatments have, however, seen remarkable advancements in recent years, and Atrium Health Levine Cancer Institute is becoming a destination site for patients with triple-negative breast cancer.
“It’s a really exciting time for the treatment of triple-negative breast cancer. There have really been big improvements,” says Dr. Antoinette Tan, chief of breast medical oncology at Levine Cancer Institute. “It’s exciting to see our patients living longer with these new therapies.”
Typically, treatment for triple-negative breast cancer includes chemotherapy, radiation and surgery. New treatments, including immunotherapy, antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) and targeted therapies like PARP inhibitors, are creating new standards of care. Dr. Tan specializes in triple-negative breast cancer, and she’s encouraged by the pace of progress the field has seen. Her patients, meanwhile, know their doctor always an eye out for the latest research and clinical trials.
“When I met Dr. Tan, I thought, ‘Why would anyone with triple-negative breast cancer want to go to any other doctor?’” Rifka says. “I got the best of the best. She wrote the textbook on triple negative breast cancer.”
It took 494 days for Rifka to complete cancer treatments. She calls it her “quest,” full of ups and downs that led to a greater understanding of herself. Rifka became determined to find purpose in this time. Her purpose, she discovered, was to help others who go through cancer treatments after her, to give them company and hope – just like her family did for her. Instead of bringing cancer survivors a silly dance, however, she found other tools to help: a yoga mat, a treadmill, and supportive words.
Finding Hope in Movement
“Every day you wake up, you’re still fighting,” Rifka says.
Today, Rifka is in survivorship mode, out of active treatment and returning for appointments every three months. She harnesses her new strength and energy into workouts. Rifka says she wants to do all she can to be as healthy as possible and to feel as good as possible. Research shows that exercise can reduce the chance of cancer recurrence.
“Exercise is about gaining more time here on earth,” Rifka says. “My daughters and I do yoga together. I want them to know, this is not punishment. This is a privilege. You get to work out, you get to show up at the gym. I want to flip the script.”
So every day, Rifka exercises, hitting the treadmill and the yoga mat. She launched a nonprofit and partnered with Lululemon to encourage other cancer survivors to exercise in ways that help them feel better and live longer. She posts Instagram stories of her workouts to show how exercise can lift the spirits and strengthen the mind. And sometimes, Rifka even breaks out in a little dance on the treadmill. After all, she has first-hand proof of the healing powers of a silly dance.
“Rifka’s future is bright,” Tan says. “She tells me that she treats each new day as a gift, and she really wants to help people through their journey with breast cancer.”
Learn about breast cancer care at Atrium Health Levine Cancer Institute.
