Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an invasive type of breast cancer that lacks hormone receptors and an excess of the HER2 protein. This means the cancer cells do not have estrogen or progesterone receptors (ER or PR) and do not produce too much of the HER2 protein. Due to this, treatment options for TNBC are generally fewer, and the prognosis is often poorer than for other types of breast cancer. TNBC is considered aggressive because it tends to grow and spread more quickly, making it more prone to recurrence after treatment compared to other types of breast cancer. This type of cancer is more common in women under 40, Black women, or those with a BRCA1 mutation. The signs and symptoms of TNBC can be the same as those of other common types of breast cancer. A diagnosis is made through imaging studies and a biopsy, after which it is checked whether the cancer cells have certain proteins. Because hormone therapy and anti-HER2 drugs are not options for women with triple-negative breast cancer, chemotherapy is often used. If the cancer has not spread to distant sites, surgery is an option. Radiation therapy may also be an option depending on certain tumor characteristics and the type of surgery previously undergone. In cases where the cancer has spread to other parts of the body (stage IV), platinum-based chemotherapy, targeted drugs such as a PARP inhibitor or an antibody-drug conjugate, or immunotherapy with chemotherapy may be considered. Survival rates are grouped based on how far the cancer has spread, but a person's age, overall health, how well the cancer responds to treatment, the grade of the tumor, and other factors can also affect their prognosis. The 5-year relative survival rate compares women with the same type and stage of breast cancer with those in the general population. For example, if the 5-year relative survival rate for a specific stage of breast cancer is 90%, this means that women with that cancer have, on average, about a 90% chance of living at least 5 years after diagnosis compared to women who do not have that cancer. Where do these percentages come from? The American Cancer Society gets the information from the SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results) database, maintained by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), to provide survival statistics for different types of cancer. The SEER database tracks the 5-year relative survival rates for breast cancer in the United States, based on how far the cancer has spread. These rates cannot tell you how long you will live, but they can help give you a better understanding of how likely it is that your treatment will be effective.