BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH Understanding the role of genetics
Triple-negative breast cancer: a more aggressive yet lesser-known disease
•Have family members with the same type of cancer
Have you ever wondered why some people are more at risk of developing breast cancer than others? While many factors can come into play, including the person’s age, lifestyle and environ- ment, about 10 percent of cases are the result of a genetic predisposition. Since October is Breast Cancer Aware- ness Month, here’s a look at the role that genetics play in this all-too-common di- sease. GENES AND THEIR VARIANTS A mutation is a change in the DNA sequence of a gene, which can potenti- ally disrupt its proper functioning. While some gene variants occur naturally during your lifetime, others are passed down from your parents. This means that if either your mother or father has a gene variant, there’s a 50 percent chance you’ll inherit it. The danger is if this muta- tion is in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene, which are the most common causes of hereditary breast cancer. HEREDITARY RISK FACTORS In addition to having a higher risk of breast cancer, people with this genetic mutation are also more likely to: •Be affected by cancer before the age of 50 •Have more than one type of cancer at the same time •Develop rare types of cancer
have been shown to improve the pro- gnosis of those affected. However, others are still being studied. Here are some examples: •Developing cancer vaccines •Using oncolytic viruses antibodies made in a laboratory •Using adjuvant immunotherapy to strengthen the immune system For more information about triple- negative breast cancer, visit cancer.ca. to attack cancer cells •Injecting monoclonal
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive form of the disease that accounts for about 10 to 15 per cent of all breast cancers. While rare, this type of cancer tends to be most common in women under 40 and among those of African and Asian an- cestry. FEWER TREATMENT OPTIONS Unlike other types of breast cancer, TNBC has limited treatment options. This is because the tumours don’t have receptors for estrogen, proges-
Do you think you might be genetically predisposed to breast cancer? If so, ask your doctor for a referral to a specia- list who can review your family and medi- cal history and assess your level of risk.
terone or HER2 — hence the term “triple-negative.” As a result, hormone therapy and targeted drugs are ineffective against this type of breast cancer. THE LATEST ADVANCES Fortunately, research on TNBC has led to the development of specific treatments that
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