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It is not the most common type of breast cancer and it can be more difficult to treat than most. Triple negative breast cancer is most often found in young women and it grows quickly. But one Mid-Missouri woman is keeping a positive attitude in the midst of her fight.

Angie Nichols has a chemotherapy session on Friday afternoon, once every two weeks. In between she has good days and bad.

"It takes a couple of days before the chemo kicks in and when it does I'm really tired and sick to my stomach," says Nichols.

It's a cruel cycle. By the next week, this 35 year old has enough energy to keep up with her four children.

"Monday of the week when I'm due for chemo again I'm starting to feel great."

Then it's time to start the cycle again. For her next four appointments doctors will use a different chemotherapy drug. That's critical, because with triple negative cancers using just one type of drug isn't enough according to Dr. Paul Dale from Ellis Fischel Cancer Center.

"Typically you have to treat these ladies with different chemotherapies that work at different parts of the cell cycle, and on different parts of the cell itself. So we sort of shoot a lot of bullets at the cell hoping that one of those is going to get through and penetrate and kill the cell," says Dale.

Triple negative breast cancer is unique because it is a type of tumor without surface receptors for estrogen, progesterone and the tumor does not have an excess of the HER2 protein. While Dr. Dale tells me triple negative cancers are fast growing and challenging to treat, the most important factor in survival is catching them in an early stage. Thankfully Angie's was found in the smallest stage, stage one. She had a double mastectomy and will have reconstruction, but she is hopeful her treatments will be finished by Christmas. Until then, she is fighting cancer by staying positive.

"If I sit down and think about everything it will get overwhelming, so there's no point in doing it. I try to be happy about everything, but I have my moments where I am not strong," says Nichols.

Nichols' breast cancer was detected through a clinical breast exam done by her doctor and confirmed with an ultrasound and mammogram test. She encourages all women to get regular screenings.