What is Triple Negative Breast Cancer?

Image via Wikipedia

Breast is primarily a gland, composed of different types of cellular elements; fat, fibrous tissue and some muscular tissue. Cancer of breast may arise from any of the components of the breast. Even in the glandular tissue proper, there are ductal cell and glandular or lobular cells, which are different from each other. The traditional classifications of breast cancer take into view of the cellular element and invasion of other adjacent tissue by the cancerous cells. It does not give much information for modalities of treatment, particularly the additional treatment to be given besides surgery.
In the recent times after genetic study of breast tissue a lot of information pouring in as regards its behavior. That has some bearing on the modalities of treatment. Though there are several genetic markers of this disease, extensively studied are; estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and ERBB2 or HER2 (Epidermal growth factor). Now researchers have been able to demonstrate that the cancer expressing particular type of genetic marker responds to a particular treatment e.g. ER positive cancer responds to tamoxifen, a estrogen receptor blocker.

Image via Wikipedia DCIS (Ductal Carcinoma In Situ)

So, in this way, it also has been seen that the breast caner negative for ER, PR and ERBB2/HER2 are aggressive and tagged with bad prognosis in comparison to cancers positive for these markers. And that is why a new classification is being advanced basing on the genetic behavior.
If these three genetic markers are absent in a breast caner, it is termed as triple negative breast cancer.    

Image by Noel C. Hankamer via Flickr

 

 

 

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