Triple-Negative Breast Cancer and Obesity in a Rural Appalachian Population

Abstract

Background Our objective was to determine the clinicopathologic features of triple-negative (estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and human epidermal growth factor-2 receptor negative) breast cancer and their relationship to obesity in women drawn from a population with one of the highest obesity rates in the United States. Methods This retrospective study involved 620 White patients with invasive breast cancer in West Virginia. Hospital tumor registry, charts, and pathology records provided age at diagnosis, tumor histologic type, size, nodal status, and receptor status. Body mass index was calculated and a value of ≥30 was considered indicative of obesity. Results Triple-negative tumors occurred in 117 (18.9%) of the 620 patients, most often in association with invasive ductal carcinomas. Patients with triple-negative tumors were younger than those with other receptor types, 44.5% and 26.7%, respectively, being diagnosed at age <50 years (P = 0.0004). The triple-negative tumors were larger (P = 0.0003), most notably in the younger women, but small tumors (<2.0 cm) were more often accompanied by lymph node metastases. Obesity was present in 49.6% of those with triple-negative tumors but in only 35.8% of those with non-triple-negative tumors (P = 0.0098). Lymph node metastases were more frequently associated with T2 tumors in obese patients (P = 0.032) regardless of their receptor status. Conclusions Triple-negative breast cancers within a White, socioeconomically deprived, population occurred in younger women, with later stage at diagnosis, and in association with obesity, which itself has been associated with a poor prognosis in breast cancer.

Study of Hormone Receptors and Epidermal Growth Factor Expression in Invasive Breast Cancers in a Cohort of Western India

“…In our study, ER negative, PR negative and Her2/neu negative receptors constituted 13.2 % of our cases. In previous Indian study revealed 25 % cases of triple-negative breast cancer whereas Western countries have showed 14-30 % of triplenegative breast cancer [9,[31][32][33][34][35]. The negative expressions of triple receptors vary markedly with ethnicity and reported higher in African women as compared to White women [31].…”

Triple‑negative breast cancer and its?association with obesity (Review)

“…Over the last few years, an increasing body of retrospective studies based on population analyses suggests that the incidence of obese TNBC patients is higher compared with that of non-obese patients. A retrospective study investigated 620 Caucasian patients with invasive breast cancer in West Virginia, among whom obesity was present in 49.6% of the Triple-negative breast cancer and its association with obesity (Review) TNBC patients, but in only 35.8% of the non-TNBC patients (P=0.0098) (8). Another study of clinicopathological data obtained from 112 TNBC patients in a Turkish hospital over a 5-year period reported that 30 (26.8%) were normoweight or underweight, and 82 (73.2%) were overweight/obese at the time of diagnosis (9).…”

Styrene maleic acid-encapsulated RL71 micelles suppress tumor growth in a murine xenograft model of triple negative breast cancer

“…4,5 TNBCs are predominantly diagnosed in younger women as well as women who are either African-American, 6,7 Hispanic, 8 or obese. 9,10 Furthermore, these cancers are more aggressive and poorly differentiated, and thus women with TNBC have a worse prognosis compared to other types of breast cancer. 4,11 These patients usually respond well to standard chemotherapy.…”