Genetics of triple-negative breast cancer: Implications for patient care

Patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), defined as lacking expression of the estrogen and progesterone receptors (ER/PR) and amplification of the HER2 oncogene, often have a more aggressive disease course than do patients with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer, including higher rates of visceral and central nervous system metastases, early cancer recurrences and deaths. Triple-negative breast cancer is associated with a young age at diagnosis and both African and Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry, the latter due to three common founder mutations in the highly penetrant cancer susceptibility genes BRCA1 and BRCA2 (BRCA1/2).

Source: Current Problems in Cancer - September 22, 2016 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Anosheh Afghahi, Melinda L. Telli, Allison W. Kurian Source Type: research