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Triple negative breast cancer compared to hormone receptor negative/HER2 positive breast cancer

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Abstract

The aim of this study is to reveal likely demographic, clinical, and pathological differences among hormone receptor negative breast cancer patients according to their HER-2 status. The medical records of hormone receptor negative breast cancer patients with known HER-2 status between January 1999 and December 2006 were reviewed, retrospectively. A total of 91 cases were included in the study (68 HER-2 negative cases and 23 HER-2 positive cases). The results obtained showed that median age, menarche age, childbearing age, number of children, menopause age, and body-mass indexes were similar in both groups. The HER-2 negative patients had more family history of breast cancer than HER-2 positive patients (13.2% and 0%, respectively, P = 0.091). Eighty-three patients received neoadjuvant/adjuvant chemotherapy. Recurrence occurred in 41 (46.6%) patients. Neither recurrence nor disease-free survival of those patients was associated with HER-2 status. Tumor size (P = 0.042) and number of involved lymph nodes (P = 0.001) were found to be independent prognostic factors for disease-free survival. A tendency for more frequent cerebral metastasis was found in HER-2 positive advanced stage patients (P = 0.052). HER-2 positive patients were less responsive to taxanes (P = 0.071). The number of involved lymph nodes (P = 0.004) and HER-2 status (P = 0.043) were found to be prognostic factors for overall survival. HER-2 positive and negative patients should be followed and treated with different strategies. HER-2 positive patients are at least as resistant to systemic therapies as the HER-2 negative patients. Genetic counseling should be routinely provided to triple negative patients and their families. HER-2 positive patients may be candidates for prophylactic treatment strategies concerning cerebral metastasis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medical Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Trakya University, Hastanesi Medikal Onkoloji Bilim Dalı, 22030, Edirne, Turkey

    Irfan Cicin, Hakan Karagol, Sernaz Uzunoglu & Tarkan Yetisyigit

  2. Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Trakya University, Edirne, Turkey

    Ufuk Usta

  3. Department of General Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Trakya University, Edirne, Turkey

    Atakan Sezer

  4. Department of Radiation Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Trakya University, Edirne, Turkey

    Rusen Alas-Cosar

  5. Department of Medical Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Kocaeli University, Izmit, Kocaeli, Turkey

    Kazim Uygun

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  1. Irfan Cicin
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Correspondence to Irfan Cicin.

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Cicin, I., Karagol, H., Usta, U. et al. Triple negative breast cancer compared to hormone receptor negative/HER2 positive breast cancer. Med Oncol 26, 335–343 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12032-008-9126-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12032-008-9126-3

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