What is Triple Negative Breast Cancer?

A triple negative breast cancer diagnosis means that the three most common types of receptors known to fuel most breast cancer growth–estrogen, progesterone, and the HER-2/neu gene– are absent in the cancer tumor. This means that the breast cancer cells have tested negative for the hormone epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2), estrogen receptors (ER), and progesterone receptors (PR). Since the tumor cells lack the necessary receptors, common treatments like hormone therapy and drugs that target estrogen, progesterone, and HER-2 are ineffective. Using chemotherapy to treat triple-negative breast cancer is still an effective option. Triple negative breast cancer may respond even better to chemotherapy in the earlier stages than many other forms of cancer.