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Updated: Jul 6, 2026

Studying Triple Negative Breast Cancer Using Orthotopic Breast Cancer Model
09:29

Studying Triple Negative Breast Cancer Using Orthotopic Breast Cancer Model

Published on: March 20, 2020

Is triple negative a prognostic factor in breast cancer?

Reiki Nishimura1, Nobuyuki Arima

  • 1Department of Breast and Endocrine Surgery, Kumamoto City Hospital, Kumamoto 862-8505, Japan. j_nishimura2002@yahoo.co.jp

Breast Cancer (Tokyo, Japan)
|March 29, 2008
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Triple-negative (TN) breast cancer lacks targeted therapies and shows aggressive characteristics. This study found TN breast cancer has a higher proliferation rate, poorer disease-free survival, and lower overall survival rates, necessitating new treatment strategies.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Breast cancer treatment often relies on hormone dependency and targeted therapies like Trastuzumab for HER2-positive cases.
  • Triple-negative (TN) breast cancer lacks estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PgR), and HER2 expression, leaving it without specific targeted treatments.
  • Understanding the unique biological and prognostic features of TN breast cancer is crucial for developing effective interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the biological and prognostic characteristics of triple-negative (TN) breast cancer.
  • To compare the survival outcomes of TN breast cancer patients with those of non-TN breast cancer patients.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of 1,552 primary breast cancer patients diagnosed between January 1998 and September 2006.
  • Evaluation of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PgR), and HER2 status in all cases.
  • Immunohistochemical examination of p53 overexpression and Ki67 proliferation index.

Main Results:

  • Triple-negative (TN) breast cancer constituted 14.0% of the study population.
  • TN tumors exhibited a high proliferation rate, high nuclear grade, and frequent p53 overexpression.
  • Patients with TN breast cancer had significantly poorer disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) post-recurrence compared to non-TN tumors.

Conclusions:

  • Triple-negative (TN) breast cancer is a distinct subtype characterized by aggressive biological features and inferior survival outcomes.
  • The high proliferation rate, nuclear grade, and p53 overexpression in TN breast cancer contribute to its poor prognosis.
  • Development of novel therapeutic strategies is essential to improve the survival rates for patients with TN breast cancer.

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