Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: When Being Negative Isn't So Positive

So you've gotten your test results: triple-negative breast cancer. Negative--that's good, right?

Unfortunately, this is one of those times that negative results aren't so positive. This form of breast cancer is named "triple-negative" because the tumor lacks the three receptors for the hormones estrogen, progesterone or Her-2/neu. Some other facts about TNBC:

• Approximately 15% of the 180,000 women diagnosed with breast cancer every year have triple-negative breast cancer.

• Younger premenopausal women and black, Latina, and Asian women account for a disproportionately high percentage of women diagnosed with TNBC.

• Treatment options are more limited than with other types of breast cancer. Because the tumor is not being fed by hormones, treatment options are limited to lumpectomy or mastectomy, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Hormone receptor-targeted treatments, such as Tamoxifen and Aromasin, have no effect.

• Depending on staging at diagnosis, triple-negative tumors tend to be aggressive and have a much higher rate of distant recurrence (metastasis) than other breast cancers. The rate of recurrence continues to be higher for the first five years after diagnosis.

The facts can be scary, but don't assume all is lost if you're diagnosed with TNBC. Because these cancers tend to be very fast growing (also called "high-grade"), they tend to respond well to chemotherapy.

A new class of drugs called PARP-inhibitors targets the damaged cancer cells, resulting in their death or increased vulnerability to chemotherapy. In a high percentage of cases in which PARP-inhibitors were added to the treatment regimen, tumors shrank.

Furthermore, research is currently being conducted that offers the hope of a vaccination that targets the MUC-1 protein found in breast cancers, including triple-negative breast cancer. Researchers seem to agree that within 5 to 10 years, the medical community will have a much better understanding of this subtype of breast cancer as well as specific, targeted therapies available to treat women who are diagnosed.

Support abounds for women diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer. The Young Survival Coalition is dedicated to issues surrounding breast cancer in women age 40 and younger.

Additionally, there is support specifically for those diagnosed with TNBC. The Triple Negative Breast Cancer Foundation was founded in 2005. Its mission is to "to raise awareness of triple negative breast cancer and to support scientists and researchers in their effort to determine the definitive causes of triple negative breast cancer, so that effective detection, diagnosis, prevention and treatment can be pursued and achieved."

Other groups, like Susan G. Komen for the Cure, are helpful for general support, research and funding for all breast cancers.

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About Liora Hess

Freelance writer and breast cancer survivor who is determined to see the glass half full. Liora Hess's profile Liora Hess's blog