Contents
Breast Cancer Awareness Month: 6 important facts about triple negative breast cancer, explained by an oncologistWho is at highest risk of developing TNBC?,How is triple-negative breast cancer diagnosed?,Why is triple-negative breast cancer more difficult to treat?Triple-negative breast cancer treatment methodsWhat is Survival Rates for Triple-Negative Breast Cancer,What research is being done to advance TNBC treatment?
-
news
-
Health
Breast Cancer Awareness Month: 6 important facts about triple negative breast cancer, explained by an oncologist
Triple-negative breast cancer is a rare form of breast cancer in which the cells do not have estrogen or progesterone receptors or do not express the human epidermal growth factor 2 (HER2 neu) protein. Experts say at least 24 percent of women in India suffer from this cancer, which is prevalent in pre-menopausal women. Read on to know some important facts about this deadly disease.
TNBC is often detected before symptoms appear during routine breast cancer screening, such as a mammogram.
Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive type compared to others – it has a faster growth rate and a higher risk of metastasis. Experts say it is called triple-negative because the cancer cells do not have estrogen or progesterone receptors. TNBC is often detected before symptoms appear during routine breast cancer screening, such as a mammogram.
Doctors say it accounts for at least 15 percent of all invasive breast cancer cases in the West. “Studies have shown that their prevalence in India is estimated to be as high as 24.04 per cent. According to Globocan data (2018), 1,62,468 new cases were reported with 87,090 deaths, “Dr. Viju Murthy, MS, DNB, MCh, MD, HCG Cancer Centre, told Times Now.
Who is at highest risk of developing TNBC?,
- Premenopausal women – those under 50 years of age
- Women with BRCA1 mutation 70 percent of breast cancers in women are caused by inherited BRCA1 mutations.
- Black and African American women
How is triple-negative breast cancer diagnosed?,
According to Dr. Murthy, about 80-90 percent of patients Triple-negative breast cancer Diagnosis is made at stage I, II, or III. “This is the time when the disease can potentially be cured. “Feeling a breast lump, skin/nipple changes, or abnormalities on a screening mammogram would be typical presentations, followed by a biopsy to confirm the presence of invasive cancer and triple negative status,” he said.
Why is triple-negative breast cancer more difficult to treat?
Mostly, this cancer treatment targets estrogen receptors, progesterone receptors and HER2 protein, where these three markers behave like a lock on the cancer cell.
There are specific potions, or ‘keys’, that we can use to open these locks. “But these keys will not work on triple-negative breast cancer, which may make it harder to treat. Therefore, we have to use other strategies to treat it,” Dr. Murthy said.
Triple-negative breast cancer treatment methods
Dr. Murthy says that the treatment of this cancer depends on the stage of diagnosis. “Most patients with stage I disease are treated first with surgery followed by chemotherapy. “For patients with stage II or III disease, standard treatment includes six months of chemotherapy and immunotherapy, then surgery and possibly radiation,” he said.
Most patients will receive six months of immunotherapy after surgery.
What is Survival Rates for Triple-Negative Breast Cancer,
The survival rate for TNBC depends on several factors, some of which include:
- How does cancer spread?
- how well the tumor responds to treatment
- overall health of the patient
Dr. Murthy says the average survival period for patients newly diagnosed with metastatic or triple-negative breast cancer is about one and a half to two years. However, these estimates do not reflect the impact of new treatments or include patients diagnosed in the past few years.
Patients with early-stage disease who respond well to treatment have a much higher chance of survival. Each patient’s circumstances are different, so it is important to discuss your prognosis with your doctor.
What research is being done to advance TNBC treatment?
Platinum chemotherapy, targeted drugs such as PARP inhibitors or antibody-drug conjugates, or immunotherapy with chemotherapy are currently being used in triple-negative cancers. Dr. Murthy says that research is now also looking at antibody-drug conjugates to treat advanced stages of this disease.
Get the latest news live on Times Now with breaking news and top headlines from health and around the world.
