Page 18 - Florida Sentinel 10-8-21

Health
Anyone can get triple-nega- tive breast cancer, however, African-American women are
more likely to develop breast cancer at a younger age (under 50) and often have a more ag-
gressive form of the disease called triple-negative breast cancer.
This means that the cancer does not express the gene for es- trogen receptor, progesterone receptor, or HER2 that can stimulate breast cancers to grow—and therefore is immune to many of the targeted treat- ments that can be used to block tumor growth. Triple-negative breast cancer tends to grow and spread more quickly than other types of breast cancer. Black women are three times more likely to develop triple-negative breast cancer than their White counterparts. In fact, research indicates that 20 to 30 percent of breast cancers diagnosed in African-American women are triple-negative.
Researchers have also found that it is more likely to affect:
Younger people. Triple- negative breast cancer is more
likely to occur before age 40 or 50, versus age 60 or older, which is more typical for other breast cancer types.
Hispanic women. Triple- negative breast cancer most commonly affects African- American women, followed by Hispanic women. Asian women and non-Hispanic white women are less likely to develop this type of cancer. A study found that black women were 3 times more likely to develop triple- negative breast cancer than white women.
Healthy breast cells contain receptors for the hormones es- trogen and progesterone. They also contain receptors for a pro- tein called HER2, which stimu- lates normal cell growth. About two out of three women with breast cancer have cells that contain receptors for estrogen and progesterone, and about 20 – 30 percent of breast cancers
have too many HER2 receptors.
Triple-negative breast cancer treatment options:
Breast cancer that is estro- gen receptor (ER) and proges- terone receptor (PR) positive can be treated with hormone therapies. Breast cancer with excess amounts of HER2 can be treated with anti-HER2 drugs such as trastuzumab.
In women with triple-nega- tive breast cancer, the malig- nant cells do not contain receptors for estrogen, proges- terone or HER2. Breast cancer that is ER, PR and HER2 nega- tive cannot be treated with hor- mone therapies or medications that work by blocking HER2, such as trastuzumab.
All women can help reduce
their risk of breast cancer by:
- Avoiding weight gain and obesity (for postmenopausal breast cancer),
- Engaging in regular physi- cal activity
- Minimizing alcohol intake
Women should consider the increased risk of breast cancer associated with combined estro- gen and progestin hormone therapy use when evaluating treatment options for menopausal symptoms. In addi- tion, recent research indicates that long-term, heavy smoking may also increase breast cancer risk, particularly among women who start smoking before their first pregnancy.
OCTOBER IS BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH
PAGE 6-B FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY FRIDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2021