BRCA1 Research Update and Triple Negative Breast Cancer
I’m continuing my research into the research findings I reported earlier. Here’s more information for you:
90% of breast cancers in women with BRCA1 mutations are not estrogen receptive or progesterone receptive and they test negative for an over expression in the HER2 gene — this is called a ‘triple negative’ in breast cancer speak. Triple negative breast cancer sounds worse than it is — there’s good news and bad news associated with this diagnosis.
The bad news is that HER2 negative breast cancer is thought to be particularly aggressive and ER/PR positive cancers feed on the naturally occurring hormones in your body. While there are drugs available to women who are HER2 positive (Herceptin) and ER/PR positive (Tamoxifen and Aromatase Inhibitors), there’s nothing yet for the women who is triple negative.
However, triple negative breast cancers do really well with chemotherapy. Really well.
Anyway, all this says to me … it is so important for researchers to keep up their efforts. It matters to the triple negative woman. It matters to all women.
July 5th, 2008 at 2:51 pm
Thank you for that. I am in the middle of radiation after 2 lumpectomies and chemotherapy after a diagnosis of TNBC. I usually only read scary things about TNBC. It’s good to read the positives.
June 24th, 2009 at 2:13 am
Most women’s lifetime risk of breast cancer is about 13 percent, and the risk for ovarian cancer is less than 2 percent. But women with mutations in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes may be three to seven times more likely to develop breast cancer and nine to 30 times more likely to develop ovarian cancer than women with unaltered forms of the genes.