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Ahn, Cho, Kwon, and Kang: Clinicopathologic Characteristics and Prognosis of Early Stage Triple Negative Breast Cancer: Comparison with Non-triple Negative Group
Original Article
Journal of the Korean Surgical Society

Journal of the Korean Surgical Society 2009; 77(1): 37-42.

Published online: 3 July 2009

DOI: https://doi.org/10.4174/jkss.2009.77.1.37

Clinicopathologic Characteristics and Prognosis of Early Stage Triple Negative Breast Cancer: Comparison with Non-triple Negative Group

Jae Seok Ahn, M.D., Jihyoung Cho, M.D., Sun Young Kwon, M.D., Ph.D.1, Sun Hee Kang, M.D.

Department of Surgery, Keimyung University School of Medicine, Daegu, Korea.

1Department of Pathology, Keimyung University School of Medicine, Daegu, Korea.

Corresponding author (shkang9002@dsmc.or.kr)

Received 13 February 2009       Accepted 7 April 2009

Copyright © 2009 The Korean Surgical Society

Abstract

Purpose

Triple negative breast cancer (estrogen receptor-negative, progesterone receptor-negative, and HER2/neu negative) is associated with high risk of recurrence and poor prognosis. We investigated the characteristics and prognosis of triple negative early-stage breast cancer.

Methods

We reviewed the records of 821 early-stage breast cancer patients treated at our hospital from 1995 to 2005. We studied the differences between a triple negative group compared with a non-triple negative group.

Results

Of 821 early-stage breast cancer patients, 200 (24.4%) were classified as triple negative. Large tumors (>2 cm) in the triple negative group were significantly more than those in the non-triple negative group (P=0.042). Histologic and nuclear grade of the triple negative group were significantly higher than those of the non-triple negative group (P<0.001). The median follow-up time is 50 months (1~135). There have been 50 local recurrences, 98 distant metastases, and 65 deaths. There were high rates of local recurrence in the triple negative group but no difference in 5-year disease free survival rates (P=0.178). The 5-year overall survival rate showed 85% in the triple negative group but 92.8% in the non-triple negative group (P=0.008). The relative risk for overall survival was 1.93 times higher in the triple negative group.

Conclusion

Triple negative breast cancer patients in early stages have poor pathologic findings and prognoses. Careful treatment and follow-up are important and further investigation is necessary for triple negative breast cancer.

Keywords: Triple negative breast cancer, Clinicopathologic factor, Prognosis

Figures and Tables

Fig. 1
Overall survivals of all patients (A), stage I (B), stage II (C) between triple negative and non-triple negative group.
jkss-77-37-g001
Table 1
Characteristics of all patients
jkss-77-37-i001
Table 2
Comparison of recurrence rates between triple negative and non-triple negative group
jkss-77-37-i002
Table 3
Multivariate analysis for survival rate between triple negative and non-triple negative group
jkss-77-37-i003

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