Triple Negative Breast Cancer Treatments: All You Need to Know
Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive form of breast cancer.
TNBC lacks the most common hormones, such as Estrogen and Progesterone, found in breast cancer cells, making it difficult to treat.
According to the American Cancer Society, 10 to 15% of all breast cancer cases are TNBC.
The good news is with advancements in research and treatment, there is hope for TNBC-affected individuals.
In this article, we will learn more about the various options available for Triple Negative Breast Cancer treatment.
Triple Negative Breast Cancer Treatment
Many healthcare professionals and researchers are making significant advancements in TNBC treatment.
Recent clinical trials are testing a combination of medicines and therapies as a new approach.
Some basic treatment options for Triple-Negative Breast Cancer involve surgery and therapies like radiation therapy, immunotherapy, and chemotherapy.
These treatments can be helpful for a person having any stage of this Breast Cancer.
Surgery
Surgery is usually the first option of treatment for Breast cancer.
Various surgeries, such as lumpectomy, mastectomy, and lymph node removal, are available.
Mastectomy
In the mastectomy, complete breast tissue is removed to treat breast cancer or prevent it from progressing.
The surgical removal of one breast is known as a unilateral mastectomy, and the removal of both breasts is called bilateral.
Some lymph nodes from the underarm are also removed to see if the cancer cells have spread beyond the breast.
The surgeon may remove a lymph node during other procedures if the biopsy shows a spread of cancer cells outside the milk duct.
Lumpectomy
Lumpectomy is also known as breast-conserving surgery, in which the healthy tissues of the breast stay intact.
A lumpectomy removes the tumor and a few surrounding tissues, known as breast-conserving surgery.
Unlike mastectomy, which removes the entire breast, lumpectomy removes the cancer-affected tissues only.
Because only a certain part of the breast is removed, it is also known as a partial mastectomy.
Radiation therapy
Radiotherapy or radiation therapy is a treatment that uses high-energy radiation beam to kill cancer cells or shrink tumors.
This procedure is painless, but it may cause skin discomfort over time.
During early-stage breast cancer treatment, radiation therapy is done after surgery.
Surgery helps remove tumors, and radiation kills any left cancer cells, also lowers the risk of cancer recurrence or coming back.
Various types of radiation therapies include external, internal, and intraoperative radiation.
External beam radiation
It is the most common type of radiation therapy used to treat breast cancer.
A machine known as Linear Accelerator aims at the whole breast area with a beam of high-energy X-ray radiation.
This may need 5 to 7 weeks of time to complete this therapy.
Internal radiation or brachytherapy
Brachytherapy can be an option for women who have undergone lumpectomy.
As per the American Brachytherapy Society, women aged 45 or older diagnosed with early-stage invasive breast cancer are appropriate for this therapy.
Internal radiation is a way to aim accelerated radiation for a shorter period at a smaller part of the breast.
Intraoperative radiation
It is a type of partial breast radiation in which the entire radiation is delivered at one time during surgery.
This is done right after the surgery when the cancer tissues are still exposed.
A single high dose of radiation is aimed at the area where cancer is present.
Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy medicines work by helping your immune system work more effectively to fight cancer cells.
Various drugs, such as Keytruda (Pembrolizumab), are FDA-approved to treat breast cancer.
These medicines help stimulate the immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells.
Immunotherapy medicines can also help by alerting the immune system to destroy the cancer cells in the body.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the most common breast cancer treatment, which uses medicine to slow or stop the growth of cancer cells.
It is a systematic therapy because it travels through the bloodstream and affects the full body.
Breast cancer cells multiply and grow more quickly than normal, healthy cells.
Chemotherapy has a greater impact on faster-growing cancer cells than it does on normal cells.
Depending on the type of breast cancer, chemotherapy medicines may be combined with other medicines.
Symptoms of TNBC
The symptoms of TNBC are the same as other breast cancers.
And many symptoms can be similar to other less severe conditions.
If you have these symptoms doesn’t always mean you have breast cancer.
Some of the possible symptoms of Triple Negative Breast cancer are as follows:
- A new lump or mass on the breast
- Swollen breast
- Dimpled skin
- Nipple or breast pain
- Nipple retraction (Nipple turning inwards)
- Flaking, red, or thickened breast skin
- Nipple discharge (Not breast milk)
- Swollen lymph nodes
Survival rate
Triple Negative Breast Cancer’s survival rate depends on the cancer stage at the time of diagnosis.
The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER) database provided data on TNBC diagnosis between 2011 and 2017.
According to this database, the 5-year survival rate combining all stages of the TNBC is 77%.
Depending on the stages, the 5-year survival rate is as follows:
- 91% for people whose TNBC has not spread beyond the breast
- 65% for the people in which the TNBC has spread to nearby lymph nodes
- 12% for people whose TNBC has spread to other organs of the body
Prognosis
The prognosis for Triple Negative Breast Cancer continues to improve.
The survival rate of people diagnosed with breast cancer has also increased effectively.
This is possible due to recent progress in identifying new treatments and finding more ways.
Like most other treatments, earlier diagnosis of TNBC can lead to better treatment and prognosis.
Conclusion
Triple-negative breast cancer is one of the most challenging breast cancers to treat.
You might feel low by what you have read about triple-negative breast cancer.
There are various effective treatments for TNBC, including immunotherapy, chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation.
And every day, researchers are trying to learn more about the treatments.
If you’re concerned and still confused about your cancer, ask your doctor to diagnose and provide treatment options.
Frequently Asked Questions
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