Basal-like and triple-negative breast cancers: searching for positives among many negatives

Prasanna Alluri; Lisa A Newman

doi:10.1016/j.soc.2014.03.003

Basal-like and triple-negative breast cancers: searching for positives among many negatives

Surg Oncol Clin N Am. 2014 Jul;23(3):567-77. doi: 10.1016/j.soc.2014.03.003.

Authors

Prasanna Alluri¹, Lisa A Newman²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
² Breast Care Center, University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center, 1500 East Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48167, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].

Abstract

Triple-negative breast cancers (TNBC) are defined by their failure to express the estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and HER2/neu protein markers. This basic feature is clinically relevant because it indicates that these cancers cannot be managed with endocrine or anti-HER2 systemic therapies. Furthermore, most TNBC cases are also characterized as being of the genetically defined basal subtype, which is an inherently and biologically more aggressive pattern of disease. The two terms, however, are not synonymous, and some TNBC cases are prognostically more favorable. TNBC differs from non-TNBC in risk-factor profile, pattern, and rate of metastatic spread.

Keywords: Basal breast cancer; Breast cancer subtypes; Triple-negative breast cancer.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Review

MeSH terms

Black People
Female
Humans
Risk Factors
Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms* / drug therapy
Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms* / epidemiology
Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms* / ethnology
Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms* / genetics
Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms* / pathology

Grants and funding

T32 CA009672/CA/NCI NIH HHS/United States