According to the
- lumpectomy (the removal of the tumor while leaving most of the breast intact)
- mastectomy (the removal of the breast and some surrounding tissue)
- chemotherapy
- radiation therapy
TNBC is
People commonly use
Dr. Xinyu Nan, a medical oncologist with the Center for Cancer Prevention and Treatment at the Providence St. Joseph Hospital in Orange County, California, told MNT that antibody-drug conjugates are effective at targeting the cancer.
Antibody-drug conjugates contain an antibody linked to a small molecule drug that is toxic to the tumor cell.
The antibody-drug conjugate delivers a molecule through an intravenous line that attaches to the cancer cells. These molecules help the chemotherapy better target the cancer cells.
According to Dr. Crystal Fancher, the lack of receptors to target means that some treatments for other forms of breast cancer are not effective for TNBC.
Dr. Fancher is a surgical breast oncologist at the Margie Petersen Breast Center at Providence Saint John’s Health Center and an assistant professor of surgery at Saint John’s Cancer Institute, both in Santa Monica, California.
“Unlike other breast cancers that have hormone receptors, like HER2, triple-negative is harder to treat,” she told MNT.
Dr. Jacoub explained that people’s outcomes tend to improve when they receive chemotherapy in combination with other treatments. A course of treatment now typically includes “immunotherapeutics, which we use before and after surgery as well as during a recurrence,” he added.
Platinum chemotherapy, or chemotherapy using platinum-based drugs, is common in the treatment of TNBC due to its effectiveness. However, research has shown that severe side effects can limit its use.
One
Dr. Nan estimated that about 40% of people can use a combination of immunotherapy and chemotherapy.
There are several new and ongoing studies looking at treatments for TNBC.
Dr. Fancher encouraged people with TNBC to look into trials.
“Research on clinical trials is really important,” she told MNT. “If you [have] triple-negative breast cancer, consider a clinical trial. It helps move the research forward. There are lots of trials out there, and many are having good results.”
New antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs)
Two antibody medications are in the later stages of development and close to gaining
In a small 2023 study with 44 participants who took Dato-DXd for TNBC, 32% saw their tumors shrink, while 80% had their disease under control.
Additionally, in one small study cited in a
Importantly, healthcare professionals need to be aware that novel ADCs have associations with unique and, in some cases, serious toxicities.
TVEC (talimogene laherparepvec)
In a clinical trial at the Moffitt Cancer Center in Florida, researchers merged neoadjuvant chemotherapy with the application of a virus that can kill cancer cells — an “oncolytic virus” — called TVEC (talimogene laherparepvec).
They found that
cSNX1.3
Developed using epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) technology, the drug reportedly causes few or no toxic side effects.
Researchers conducted the study on mice and are now working toward FDA approval to test the drug in a phase 1 clinical trial in humans.
Cardamonin
In 2022, Dr. Patricia Mendonca, an assistant professor and research analyst from Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, Florida, delivered a presentation to showcase findings suggesting that cardamonin can reduce the growth of cancer cells in people with TNBC (in a dose-dependent manner).
Cardamonin is a natural compound found in cardamom and various plants from the Zingiberaceae (ginger) family.
Clinical trials
People who are interested in learning more or potentially joining a clinical trial can look at ClinicalTrials.gov. At any time, there are likely several ongoing or recruiting studies across the country. Details about signing up or getting more information on TNBC clinical trials are available here.
A person should talk with their doctor before joining a clinical trial. A doctor may be able to help the person find a relevant study or recommend ones that will work best for them.
TNBC is curable when a doctor diagnoses it during the first three stages (1–3), said Dr. Jacoub. He treats stages 1–3 with everything he can in order to remove and destroy the cancer.
However, TNBC is less likely to be curable if it recurs or spreads past the lymph nodes. TNBC is the most likely form of breast cancer to recur.
The outlook for people with localized TNBC over a 5-year period is good. Around
However, if the cancer spreads to local tissue or lymph nodes, the 5-year survival rate drops to
These figures are based on data for people who received treatment in the past. Newer methods have changed the outlook, which will continue to shift as different treatments become available.
Anecdotally, Dr. Nan has a segment of patients who have responded to immunotherapy treatment for longer than 5 years.
“Maybe if [his practice] follows these [people] long enough, some may still be alive after more than 10 or 15 years, then we can say [their cancer is] cured,” he said. “With developed or newer types of immunotherapy, [we] may be able to cure stage 4 cancer in the future.”
Dr. Jacoub agreed that the outlook is changing with newer treatments. He also noted that although some people have a reduced quality of life while undergoing treatment, others can maintain a good quality of life.
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