Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Abstract

Triple-negative breast cancers (TNBCs), negative for estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2, account for 15 to 20% of all female breast cancers. TNBC is heterogeneous based on gene expression microarray, and identification of TNBC subtypes and their behavior has the potential to enable more targeted, neoadjuvant, and adjuvant interventions. TNBCs usually are higher grade (Nottingham score 3) and are more common in younger, Hispanic, and African American women. They are more aggressive, have an increased likelihood of distant disease and mortality, are larger at presentation, and are more likely to be associated with lymph node metastases. Patients with TNBC are at a higher risk for visceral metastases early in the course of the disease. Genetic risk evaluation is recommended for patients with TNBC diagnosed at or before 60 years of age. Surgical management may be influenced by gene testing results. Standard adjuvant chemotherapy is anthracycline or taxane based. This review contains 5 figures, 8 tables, and 51 references. Key Words: adjuvant, BRCA, chemotherapy, hormone receptor negative, neoadjuvant, genetics, triple-negative breast cancer, breast neoplasm.