Clinical Characteristics in Patients with Triple Negative Breast Cancer.

Janet Yeh,Freya Schnabel,Jennifer Chun,Annie Wang,Amber A Guth,Richard Shapiro,Shira Schwartz,Elizabeth Kern,Deborah Axelrod

doi:10.1155/2017/1796145

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this study was to compare and contrast the clinical characteristics of the triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) and non-TNBC patients, with a particular focus on genetic susceptibility and risk factors prior to diagnosis. Methods Our institutional database was queried for all patients diagnosed with invasive breast cancer between January 2010 and May 2016. Results Out of a total of 1964 patients, 190 (10%) patients had TNBC. The median age for both TNBC and non-TNBC was 59 years. There was a significantly higher proportion of African American and Asian patients with TNBC (p = 0.0003) compared to patients with non-TNBC. BRCA1 and BRCA2 were significantly associated with TNBC (p < 0.0001, p = 0.0007). A prior history of breast cancer was significantly associated with TNBC (p = 0.0003). There was no relationship observed between TNBC and a history of chemoprevention or patients who had a history of AH or LCIS. Conclusions We found that having Asian ancestry, a prior history of breast cancer, and a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation all appear to be positively associated with TNBC. In order to develop more effective treatments, better surveillance, and improved prevention strategies, it is necessary to improve our understanding of the population at risk for TNBC.

Highlights

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the subtype of breast cancer that does not overexpress human epidermal growth factor 2 receptors (HER2), while lacking expression of estrogen receptors (ER) and progesterone receptors (PR)
A total of 1964 patients with invasive breast cancer were enrolled in the Breast Cancer Database
BRCA1 and BRCA2 were significantly associated with TNBC (p < 0.0001, p = 0.0007)

Summary

Introduction

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the subtype of breast cancer that does not overexpress human epidermal growth factor 2 receptors (HER2), while lacking expression of estrogen receptors (ER) and progesterone receptors (PR). TNBC, which accounts for an estimated 15–20% of invasive breast cancers [1,2,3], has been associated with rapid growth, distant metastasis, and shorter overall and relapse-free survival when compared to other breast cancer subtypes across multiple studies [4,5,6]. Much of the literature surrounding TNBC has been focused on identifying populations at risk. BRCA1 and BRCA2 genotypes have been shown to predispose carriers to TNBC [5, 7,8,9,10,11].

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