Triple-negative breast cancer more common in blacks, regardless of age, weight

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Black women have a threefold greater risk of developing triple-negative breast cancer (negative for estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and HER-2) compared to non-black women, regardless of age or body weight, Boston-based researchers report.

"The higher prevalence of triple-negative breast tumors in black women in all age and weight categories likely contributes to black women's unfavorable breast cancer prognosis," Dr. Carol Rosenberg from Boston University School of Medicine noted in comments to Reuters Health.

"The reasons explaining this finding are not certain, but it is possible that black women may be at intrinsically greater risk of these more aggressive tumors," she added.

Dr. Rosenberg and colleagues looked at the clinical and pathologic features of breast cancers in a diverse group of 415 women. Thirty-six percent of the women were white, 43% were black, 10% Hispanic and 11% of "other" races. Forty-seven percent of the women were obese.

Most of the breast tumors (72%) were estrogen receptor-positive and/or progesterone receptor-positive; 20% were triple-negative and 13% were HER2-positive.

The investigators focused on triple-negative tumors, which are associated with poor prognosis, and found that the odds ratio for having this tumour type was 3.0 for black women compared with white women.

Triple-negative tumors made up equal fractions -- roughly 30% -- of breast cancers in younger and older black women and in obese and non-obese black women, according to the team's report published online March 25 in the journal Breast Cancer Research.

"It was known previously," Dr. Rosenberg commented, "that premenopausal black women had more triple-negative tumors. However, there were no previous data about weight. What we found that was new was that these tumors were just as common in black women diagnosed before or after age 50, and in those who were or were not obese."

The investigators conclude, "Other factors must determine tumor subtype."

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