Triple Negative Breast Cancer

It is now commonly understood that breast cancer is not one form of cancer, but many different "subtypes" of cancer.^[1] These subtypes of breast cancer are generally diagnosed based upon the presence, or lack of, three "receptors" known to fuel most breast cancers: estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor and Her2/neu.^[2] The most successful treatments for breast cancer target these receptors.^[3]

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Unfortunately, none of these receptors are found in women with triple negative breast cancer. A triple negative breast cancer diagnosis means that the offending tumor is estrogen receptor-negative, progesterone receptor-negative and HER2-negative, thus giving rise to the name "triple negative breast cancer."^[4] On a positive note, this type of breast cancer is typically responsive to chemotherapy.^[5] Because of its triple negative status, however, triple negative tumors generally do not respond to receptor targeted treatments.^[6] Depending on the stage of its diagnosis, triple negative breast cancer can be particularly aggressive, and more likely to recur than other subtypes of breast cancer.^[7]

Triple negative breast cancer accounts for approximately 15% of all breast cancer cases.^[8] It occurs most often in African American and younger women.^[9] Because it is a recently recognized form of breast cancer, there is very little known about its pathology.^[10] Thus, there is an urgent need for targeted research and better treatment options for this disease.^[11]

Basal-like carcinoma

It is currently understood that triple-negative tumors are composed of several distinct pathologic groups, the largest called basal-like carcinoma of the breast. This newly proposed category of breast cancer is defined on the basis of its gene expression and protein expression profile.

References

See also

Triple Negative Breast Cancer Foundation