Triple-negative breast cancer indicates the absence of three "receptors' and a receptor is a protein that lives inside or on the surface of a cell and binds to something in the body causing it to react. You have heard of estrogen/ progesterone receptors being either positive or negative as well as HER2 which is human epidermal growth factor. In positive receptor breast cancer, treatments prevent, slow or stop cancer growth by targeting these receptors. In Triple-Negative, we need different types of treatments such as Chemotherapy which is most effective for the Triple-Negative breast cancer. Therefore women with Triple negative breast cancer can't have the same treatment as other cancers that are receptor positive. How well treatment works under these circumstances depend on tumor size and whether or not it has traveled. There are some very effective treatments for Triple-negative breast cancers. This type of cancer affects all races but African- American women are more likely to have Triple-Negatvie than those in white women. The understanding of why premenopausal women and women in some ethnic groups have higher rates of triple- negative breast cancer than other groups are still not understood. The same types of tests and surgeries apply whether or not you are triple-negative. Chemotherapy is the single most effective treatment for triple-negatvie breast cancer. There is much to learn about triple-negative breast cancer and more being learned each day.
As always, this blog is solely my information and not affiliated with any me