Living with Triple-Negative Breast Cancer, Ductal

Triple-negative (or basal-like) breast cancer is a less common type of breast cancer that does not have proteins such as estrogen receptors (ER-), progesterone receptors (PR-), or an abundance of HER2 (HER2-) in the cells. Triple-negative breast cancer is harder to treat by receptor targeted treatments and therefore is very aggressive. It can be treated by chemotherapy.

Triple-negative breast cancer most commonly affects younger women and African-American women. More than 1 out of 10 breast cancers are triple-negative. It also has a great risk of recurring, especially in the first three years of treatment. The survival rate of triple-negative is lower than more common forms of breast cancer. The greatest risk is in the first five years of diagnosis, and after that has a better survival rate. Onset of this type of breast cancer is has limited treatment options, but can be treated by chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Doctors are recently focused on research and finding cures today because of its aggressive nature.

For more information on triple-negative breast cancer, read the American Cancer Society’s detailed guide.

If you have been affected by triple-negative breast cancer, take some time to read others’ experiences. Share your own experiences, ask, or answer questions here.