Abstract P3-07-13: Evaluation of epidemiological and molecular differences in African American and Caucasian women with triple negative breast cancer

Abstract

Abstract Background: Breast cancer's (BC) higher mortality rates in African American women (AAW) have been attributed to the higher frequency of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), an aggressive tumor subtype, in young AAW. What is not known is whether TNBC represents a single disease entity or differs in etiology, molecular characteristics or outcomes by population. Methods: Demographic, pathological and survival data from AAW (n = 62) and CW (n = 98) with TNBC were analyzed using chi-square analysis, Student's t-tests, and log-rank tests. RNA from laser microdissected TNBC from a subset of patients was hybridized to HG U133A 2.0 microarrays and data analyzed with a FDR <0.05, >2-fold change to define significance. Results: The frequency of TNBC compared to all BC was significantly higher in AAW (26%) compared to CW (8%), however, significant survival and pathological differences were not detected. The expression of CRYBB2 was ∼4-fold higher in tumors from AAW; these expression levels were able to classify just 64% of AAW patients correctly. Among demographic characteristics, AAW consumed significantly lower amounts of caffeine and alcohol, were less likely to breastfeed and more likely to be obese. Conclusions: These data suggest that TNBC in AAW is not a unique disease compared to TNBC in CW. Rather, higher frequency of TNBC in AAW may, in part, be attributable to the effects of lifestyle choices. Because these risk factors are modifiable, they provide new opportunities for the development of risk reduction strategies that may effectively decrease survival disparities by preventing the development of TNBC in AAW. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2013;73(24 Suppl): Abstract nr P3-07-13.