Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC)
Breast cancer is usually categorized as what it has: Hormone receptor-positive breast cancer has receptors for the hormone estrogen and/or progesterone. HER2-positive breast cancer has high levels of the protein HER2. Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is defined by what it lacks: It’s an invasive breast cancer with no hormone receptors and with normal levels of HER2.
Because of this, triple-negative breast cancers don’t respond to hormonal therapy medicines or the medicines that target the HER2 protein. As a result, triple-negative breast cancer may be harder to treat than other types of breast cancer because there are fewer treatment options. Some doctors consider TNBC to be more aggressive than other types of breast cancer because it tends to grow faster.
Still, the aggressiveness of a cancer also depends on its size and stage. And while TNBC may have fewer treatment options, there are several effective TNBC treatments. Researchers are also working to develop new treatments and figure out how to better tailor treatments to each person’s unique diagnosis and situation.
Risk factors
Although anyone can develop triple-negative breast cancer, there are certain groups that are more likely to be diagnosed with TNBC. This includes people who are younger than 40, are Black, or have a BRCA1 mutation. Black women have more than double the risk of being diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer than white women.
Symptoms and diagnosis
Some people with TNBC have no symptoms at all. But in general, the symptoms of TNBC are similar to other types of breast cancer.
Doctors may use several tests, including a breast physical exam, mammogram, breast MRI, breast ultrasound, and a breast biopsy, to determine if a person has TNBC. After triple-negative breast cancer is diagnosed, your doctor may recommend other types of tests, such as genomic testing or genetic testing.
Stages, prognosis, and survival rates
Doctors use the same system to stage TNBC as they do to stage other types of breast cancer: It’s determined by the cancer’s characteristics, such as its size, grade, and whether there are cancer cells in the lymph nodes.
The stage of the cancer helps you and your doctor:
figure out your prognosis, the likely outcome of breast cancer treatment
decide on the best treatments for you
determine if certain clinical trials may be a good option for you
Treatments
There are several standard treatment options for triple-negative breast cancer. You and your doctor will develop a treatment plan that takes into account the characteristics of the cancer and your preferences. Common treatments for people with TNBC include chemotherapy like anthracyclines or taxanes with or without Keytruda before breast cancer surgery. Other treatments may include antibody-drug conjugates(ADCs) like Datroway and Trodelvy and PARP inhibitors.
Advances in TNBC research
In addition to developing new and better treatments for triple-negative breast cancer, researchers are also studying how TNBC grows and spreads, and what might contribute to differences in who gets TNBC.
Clinical trials
Clinical trials can provide people with TNBC with access to the newest treatments being studied.
Interested in learning more about clinical trials that you may be able to enroll in? Check out featured clinical trials for breast cancer.
This content is made possible, in part, by Gilead Oncology.
