Triple Negative Breast Cancer: Experience from a North Indian Tertiary Care Center

Abstract

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is characterized by absence of estrogen and progesterone receptors (ER and PR) expression and lack of amplification of HER2 gene expression. It accounts for 15–20% of all breast cancer worldwide. The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of TNBC patients visiting Surgery Department of Banaras Hindu University and correlate various clinico-pathological parameters vis-a-vis non-TNBC patients. TNBC accounted for 64/196 (32.6%) of all breast cancer patients. TNBC patients presented at a younger age (49 versus 55 years) compared to non-TNBC patients. TNBC patients had a higher chance of lymph node involvement (84 versus 75%), more grade III lesions (64 versus 50%), higher chance of lympho-vascular invasion (62.5 versus 45.5%) compared to non-TNBC patients. On follow-up of 36 months, the incidence of locoregional recurrence was 26.5% and distant metastasis 17.2% among TNBC patients compared to 16.6 and 12% respectively for non-TNBC patients. None of the TNBC patients developed bone metastasis which was seen in 7 of the non-TNBC patients. Stage for stage TNBC tumors had a worse histological profile and higher incidence of locoregional and distant metastases compared to non-TNBC patients. Although the prevalence of TNBC in our study was three times higher than reported worldwide yet their biological behavior is by and large similar to those reported worldwide. © 2017, Association of Surgeons of India.