Health and Fitness

Why is triple-negative breast cancer considered to be aggressive?

Aggressive breast cancer is the term in medical science that is used for breast cancer with a poor prognosis. Identifying and understanding the factors associated with aggressiveness helps to manage the treatment of patients. Breast cancer is one of the diseases that is caused heterogeneously and affects both clinical and biological factors. This particular disease is responsible for letting a patient think about his/her survival. When metastasis, it becomes aggressive in a way that requires a combination of treatments. CK Birla Hospital has transformed the medical industry with its complete care, diagnosis, and treatments. The hospital believes in achieving global standards and stepping on the demands of the patients. CK Birla Group of Hospitals believes in working on the commencement of delivering high-quality care. They adhere to their national and international standards and make their facilities available for all.

Triple-negative breast cancer and its relation with the term aggressive

  • Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is considered to be aggressive cancer. It is more likely to spread in a short time and is likely to come back after having successful treatment. Compared with other types of breast cancer, the general outlook of triple-negative breast cancer is not good.
  • The survival rate concerning the particular stage of cancer can help you detect what percentage of people with the same type and stage of cancer can still be alive after they have been diagnosed with the disease.
  • In actuality, no one can tell you how long you may live with the disease. But, your treatment specialist may help you understand the factors that may contribute to early detection and diagnosis of cancer.
  • Triple-negative breast cancer is the type of cancer that shows negative results for estrogen receptors, progesterone receptors, and excess HER2 protein. This doesn’t mean that the growth of cancer is fueled by the hormones of progesterone, estrogen, and HER2 protein.
  • Triple-negative breast cancer is not effective against hormonal therapy medicines targeting the HER2 protein receptors.
  • About 10-20% of breast cancer survivors are facing triple-negative breast cancer. Researchers are still investigating how new medications can help treat this type of breast cancer.

Treatment of triple-negative breast cancer

  • Triple-negative breast cancer possesses fewer treatment options compared to other invasive breast cancers and types. This is because the cancer cells do not possess the estrogen, progesterone, and enough HER2 protein to make hormone therapy and targeted therapy work.
  • If cancer has not spread to distant parts of the body, surgery can be the option. Chemotherapy can be a part of treatment that might work on shrinking the tumor followed by immediate surgery.
  • The therapy can also be given after the surgery to reduce the chances of cancer from coming back. Radiation therapy is also another option depending on the features of the tumor.
  • Because hormone therapy and HER2 drugs are not favorable choices for women facing triple-negative breast cancer, chemotherapy is often used. In cases where cancer has spread to other parts of the body (that usually happens at stage 4) chemotherapy and other surgeries can be used including PARP inhibitor, platinum chemotherapy, or immunotherapy.

What are the common features of Triple-negative breast cancer?

Common features of triple-negative breast cancer

  • Triple-negative breast cancer is considered to be more aggressive. It possesses a poor prognosis and is mainly treated through fewer targeted medicines. Studies have shown that triple-negative breast cancer is more likely to spread beyond the areas of breast cancer. The cancer type is accompanied by recurring features that come back after having treatment.
  • Triple-negative breast cancer is considered to be higher-grade than other breast cancer types. The higher the grade, the more are cancerous cells and the more they resemble unhealthy breast cells. On a scale of 1 to 3, triple-negative breast cancer turns out to be at grade 3.
  • The cells of triple-negative breast cancer appear to be higher grade, aggressive and basal-like. “Basal-like” means that the cells resemble to be like basal that further lines the duct of the breast.

Conclusion:

It is scary to find and get diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer. It is the most aggressive breast cancer ever known in the medical field. This is because the presence or lack of hormone estrogen and progesterone receptors and excess of HER2 protein are just the two factors to recognize the type of cancer. These two factors are considered to be important for diagnosis and deciding further treatments in the future. The stage and grade of the cancer are crucial to understanding while diagnosing cancer. It is important to note that CK Birla Hospital provides a complete solution for your complex and hard-to-treat diseases. CK Birla Hospital is one of the prominent hospitals in the industry that believes in creating lives. The hospital has laid its foundation in earning a huge experience through its working capacity. 

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