Triple-negative breast cancers: a view from 10,000 feet

Triple-negative breast cancer is more likely to affect younger premenopausal women and despite being responsive to traditional chemotherapy, continues to carry a poor overall prognosis. Traditional protective factors for breast cancer such as multiparity and early primaparity actually increase the risk for the triple-negative variant. Unlike other breast cancers, the incidence of this disease is also much higher in African American and West African women. Among those with triple-negative disease in the United States, the mortality rates are also highest in African American women. Variations in risk factors and socioeconomic status, lack of treatment, delays in treatment, and inadequate dosing of chemotherapy are just a few of the many reasons that may explain why this incidence and survival disparity persists.