Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a punch in ofbreast cancerthat does not have hormone receptors.
TNBC is diagnosed in 10% to 15% of all cases of breast cancer.
Due to the lack of hormone receptors, there are limited treatment options.
Illustration by Julie Bang for Verywell Health
However, there are still treatments available, and the prognosis is good when caught early.
This article will discuss TNBC symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment.
It will also cover TNBC staging and outlook.
Illustration by Julie Bang for Verywell Health
Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: What Does It Mean?
Since TNBC tests negative on these three tests, it is called triple-negative breast cancer.
Having breast cancer that has HER2, estrogen, or progesterone receptors increases your available treatment options.
Hormone therapy and medications can be prescribed for people who test positive for these three factors.
Having breast cancer without these receptors decreases your treatment options.
However, though treatments are limited, there are still successful treatments available for TNBC.
Similar to the survival rate is a relative survival rate.
This looks at people with the same bang out and stage of cancer and people in the general population.
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) keeps a database that provides survival statistics for different types of cancer.
Treatments are constantly changing and survival rates can also change over time.
It does not take into account cancer that worsens or has gone away and comes back.
Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Symptoms
Symptoms of TNBC are similar to symptoms of other types of breast cancer.
There can be several symptoms or none at all.
The most common symptom is alump or mass in a breast.
Other symptoms include:
What Causes Triple-Negative Breast Cancer?
Thecauses of TNBCare likely linked to mutations of the BRCA1 gene.
TheBRCA1 geneprotects the body from cancer development.
Many risk factors have been associated with TNBC.
These risk factors can increase the likelihood that someone develops TNBC, but they do not cause the condition.
What Does TNBC Use for Food and Fuel?
After a breast lump has been found, a healthcare provider will order additional testing.
This can include amammogram, ultrasound, or breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
If indicated, a healthcare provider will perform a biopsy.
If the hormone testing and HER2 blood test come back negative, then the cancer is TNBC.
Genetic testing does not diagnose TNBC or other breast cancer.
It provides a better look at a person’s risk of developing breast cancer.
Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Staging
TNBC and other types ofbreast cancer are stagedin the same way.
They use a number scale from 0 to 4.
The higher the number, the more advanced the cancer is.
Stage 0
The first stage of TNBC indicates that the cancer cells have not spread.
The cancer cells are within the breast lobes or milk ducts.
How and Where Does TNBC Spread?
TNBC canspreadto distant areas of the body like the liver, lungs, and brain.
It starts when the cancer cells break off from the original tumor.
These cells then move to the blood vessels or lymph nodes.
From there they travel through the blood or the lymphatic fluid to other areas of the body.
Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Treatment
TNBC is treateddifferently than other types of cancer.
Since there are nohormone receptors, certain medications are not effective treatments.
Therefore, healthcare providers primarily use chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery to treat TNBC.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapyfor TNBC can be done before or after surgery, or at both times.
Chemotherapy decreases the likelihood that cancer will return.
Radiation
After the TNBC tumor has been removed,radiation treatmentbegins.
It uses radiation to focus on the breast to eliminate any cancer cells that may remain.
Alumpectomywill also remove any nearby lymph nodes to see if cancer has spread.
This procedure is typically done on an outpatient basis.
Amastectomyremoves all of the breast tissue and nearby lymph nodes.
It is a much more invasive procedure.
New Treatments for TNBC
TNBC treatments are evolving as researchers learn more about the condition.
The latest advancements in TNBC treatment include:
Treatments are continuously being developed and tried in clinical trials.
Many times, a combination of treatments are most effective.
TNBC Treatment Side Effects
TNBC treatment will have side effects.
This can include family and friends or a social worker who guides the patient to community support and resources.
Don’t hesitate to reach out to find resources in the area that support people with breast cancer.
American Cancer Society.Triple-negative breast cancer.
Moffitt Cancer Center.Triple negative breast cancer symptoms.
Derakhshan F, Reis-Filho JS.Pathogenesis of triple-negative breast cancer.Annu Rev Pathol.
2022;17:181-204. doi:10.1146/annurev-pathol-042420-093238
Moffitt Cancer Center.What causes triple negative breast cancer?
2022;9:836417. doi:10.3389/fmolb.2022.836417
Moffitt Cancer Center.Triple-negative breast cancer risk factors.
2018;554(7692):378-381. doi:10.1038/nature25465
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Diagnosing breast cancer.
American Cancer Society.Study: new genes linked with triple negative breast cancer.
Moffitt Cancer Center.Triple negative breast cancer stages.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About triple-negative breast cancer.
2022;15(1):121. doi:10.1186/s13045-022-01341-0
