This archive report was first published on 24 July 2021.
On average, breast cancer is the most common cancer worldwide, but there is a more aggressive form of the disease that affects a significant number of young African women, African American women, and Latinos.
Known as triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), this type of cancer lacks the three common receptors found in breast cancer cells, making it harder to treat.
Unlike other forms of breast cancer, TNBC does not respond to targeted therapies, which are effective in treating other types of breast cancer.
According to Pathologists Lancet Kenya, TNBC has a higher chance of metastasis and reoccurrence within the first three years after treatment, and is likely to be fatal in the first five years.
Recent data from 10 provincial health facilities across the country shows that TNBC constitutes approximately 20.2 per cent of all breast cancer cases.
Diagnosis and treatment of TNBC involve imaging tests and biopsy, and chemotherapy options that can be effective in treating the disease.
Patients may choose to have the lump (lumpectomy) or the entire breast removed (mastectomy), and some may opt for breast reconstruction.
Radiotherapy and chemotherapy are also employed to kill any remaining cancer cells and limit regrowth of the same.
It is essential to note that treatment's success or failure depends on how big the tumour is, its growth rate, and whether it has spread to other body parts and lymph nodes.
According to the American Cancer Institute, five-year survival rates are at 91 per cent for localised breast cancer and 11 per cent for cancer that has spread to distant parts of the body.
Other risk factors for TNBC include having a BRCA gene mutation and being under the age of 40.
