A Diagnosis Of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Doesn't Always Mean Cancer Spread

Main Category: Breast Cancer
Also Included In: Conferences
Article Date: 14 Apr 2008 - 4:00 PDT

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Triple-negative breast cancers are a heterogeneous group and may not always be associated with lymph node spread, a new study shows.

The study of 145 triple negative breast cancers (i.e, cancer which is estrogen receptor-negative, progesterone receptor-negative and HER2-negative) in 128 women found that about 23% were moderate or low-grade lesions, said Cecilia Mercado, MD, of New York University School of Medicine, and an author of the study.

Triple negative breast cancer is found in about 15% of breast cancer patients and the patients are usually younger.

The study found that 11 of the 145 cancers had a low histologic grade. Only one of these patients had evidence that their cancer had spread into their lymph nodes. Twenty-three cancers were moderate grade lesions; only five of these 23 had spread into the lymph nodes. That compares to 37 of 111 cancers with a high histologic grade which had lymph node metastases, Dr. Mercado said.

"Our preliminary results show that triple negative breast cancers are a heterogeneous group. Although many are high grade lesions, some are moderate or low grade demonstrating a lower rate of lymph node metastasis," Dr. Mercado said.

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Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release.
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The full results of this study will be presented today, Monday, April 14, 2008 during the American Roentgen Ray Society's annual meeting in Washington, DC.

Source: Necoya Tyson
American Roentgen Ray Society