Triple-negative breast cancer in young aged Indian women - An overview

Abstract

The incidence of breast cancer has overtaken cervical cancer over the past decade and becoming the most common type of cancer among Indian women. Morbidity and mortality associated with the type of cancer are disproportionately higher in Indian women. Despite efforts being made to increase awareness about the causes, a large population of Indian women are already present with advanced stages of the disease. Reproductive factors are among the most well-established risk factors for breast cancer. However, their associations with different breast cancer subtypes defined by joint estrogen receptor/progesterone receptor/human epidermal growth factor status remain unclear. Triple-negative breast cancers (TNBCs) are known for early age at presentation, large tumor sizes, and overall poor prognosis. However, Indian studies are scarce with limited follow-up data. Hence, the present study is aimed at characterizing nonmetastatic TNBC patients in our population and comparing their outcomes with the non-TNBC subset. TNBCs are a subset of tumors with poorly understood tumor biology and behavior. Despite being labeled as having aggressive tumor biology and behavior, not many differences are seen in their clinical outcomes when they present as locally advanced cases.