Management of triple negative breast cancer

Breast. 2010 Oct;19(5):312-21. doi: 10.1016/j.breast.2010.03.026. Epub 2010 Apr 10.

Abstract

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) accounts for approximately 15% of breast cancer cases. TNBC is an immunohistochemically defined subtype, with significant diversity within the subtype. Generally TNBC occurs in younger women and is marked by high rates of relapse, visceral and CNS metastases, and early death. Current therapy fails to curtail the innate aggressive behaviour of TNBC in the majority of patients. The poor prognosis coupled with a lack of targeted use of therapies is reflected in the high mortality. In a minority of patients with highly chemosensitive disease, no robust clinical evidence exists to guide use of current cytotoxics. Critical to optimal future management are accurate identification of truly triple negative disease and adequately powered prospective TNBC trials to establish treatment efficacy and define predictive biomarkers.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Angiogenesis Inhibitors / therapeutic use
  • Anthracyclines / therapeutic use
  • Antineoplastic Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Breast Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Breast Neoplasms / genetics
  • Breast Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Breast Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Epothilones / therapeutic use
  • ErbB Receptors / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Female
  • Gene Expression Profiling
  • Genes, BRCA1
  • Humans
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Platinum / therapeutic use
  • Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerase Inhibitors
  • Prognosis
  • Receptor, ErbB-2 / metabolism
  • Receptors, Estrogen / metabolism
  • Receptors, Progesterone / metabolism
  • Receptors, TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand / agonists
  • Taxoids / therapeutic use

Substances

  • Angiogenesis Inhibitors
  • Anthracyclines
  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Epothilones
  • Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerase Inhibitors
  • Receptors, Estrogen
  • Receptors, Progesterone
  • Receptors, TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand
  • Taxoids
  • Platinum
  • ERBB2 protein, human
  • ErbB Receptors
  • Receptor, ErbB-2
  • ixabepilone