Twitter
Advertisement

Breast cancer awareness month: Triple negative breast cancer stumps doctors

Doctors have expressed concern over rising of incidence of aggressive cancers that are difficult to diagnose and even more difficult to treat. A recent worry among doctors is Triple negative breast cancer.

Latest News
article-main
FacebookTwitterWhatsappLinkedin

Doctors have expressed concern over rising of incidence of aggressive cancers that are difficult to diagnose and even more difficult to treat. A recent worry among doctors is Triple negative breast cancer.

In Triple negative breast cancer, the three most common types of receptors known to fuel most breast cancer growth–estrogen, progesterone, and the HER-2/neu gene– are not present in the cancer tumor. This means that the breast cancer cells have tested negative for 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.

Since chemotherapy usually target one of these three receptors, this cancer is much more difficult to treat. "Compared to 10 years back, the incidences of Triple negative breast cancer has increased. The shifting epidemiology of breast cancer in India raises the need for more research to determine the causes and risk factors typical to Indian population. Currently, Indian research is focusing on Triple negative breast cancer, breast cancers in younger women and in those with familial history," said Dr P K Julka, Director, Max Oncology Centre.

"We have seen a rise in number of patients reporting Triple negative cancer, and survival rates for younger women are lower than older women as the former tend to have more aggressive cancers that grow rapidly," said Dr Julka.

Find your daily dose of news & explainers in your WhatsApp. Stay updated, Stay informed-  Follow DNA on WhatsApp.
Advertisement

Live tv

Advertisement
Advertisement