Triple Negative Breast Cancer
Another unusual disease type is triple-negative breast cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, it only affects 10 to 15 percent of those who have breast cancer (ACS).
A tumor must exhibit all three of the following traits to be classified as triple-negative breast cancer:
Estrogen receptors are absent:
These are estrogen receptors on the cells, which bind to or connect to estrogen. Estrogen can encourage cancer to spread if a tumor possesses estrogen receptors.
Progesterone receptors are absent:
These cells have receptors that attach to the progesterone hormone. Progesterone can encourage the growth of cancer if the tumor has progesterone receptors.
Its surface does not include any additional human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) proteins:
- A protein called HER2 promotes the spread of breast cancer.
- A tumor is referred to as triple-negative breast cancer if it satisfies these three requirements. Compared to other breast cancer kinds, this one tends to grow and spread faster.
- Because hormone therapy for breast cancer is ineffective, triple-negative breast cancers are challenging to treat.