What Is Triple-Negative Breast Cancer?
After a diagnosis with breast cancer, most doctors will try to determine the type, which is important for planning treatment. This can be done by identifying the presence of hormone receptive cancer cells. In certain forms of breast cancer, cancer cells with specific receptors are sensitive to some hormones like progesterone and estrogen. In addition, they have an overexpression of the HER2 gene. This leads to the overproduction of HER2 protein, which may stimulate the growth and progression of cancer cells. Triple-negative breast cancer occurs when cancer cells do not have any of these features. This form accounts for approximately 10 to 15 percent of all reported cases. [1]
