title: Triple-negative breast cancer--current status and future directions.
abstract: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is defined by a lack of expression of both estrogen and progesterone receptor as well as human epidermal growth factor receptor 2. It is characterized by distinct molecular, histological and clinical features including a particularly unfavorable prognosis despite increased sensitivity to standard cytotoxic chemotherapy regimens. TNBC is highly though not completely concordant with various definitions of basal-like breast cancer (BLBC) defined by high-throughput gene expression analyses. The lack in complete concordance may in part be explained by both BLBC and TNBC comprising entities that in themselves are heterogeneous. Numerous efforts are currently being undertaken to improve prognosis for patients with TNBC. They comprise both optimization of choice and scheduling of common cytotoxic agents (i.e. addition of platinum salts or dose intensification strategies) and introduction of novel agents (i.e. poly-ADP-ribose-polymerase-1 inhibitors, agents targeting the epidermal growth factor receptor, multityrosine kinase inhibitors or antiangiogenic agents).
authors.affiliation: Westdeutsche Studiengruppe GmbH, Mönchengladbach, Germany.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Gluz
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liedtke
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gottschalk
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pusztai
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Nitz
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Harbeck
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D005260:Female; D019398:Genes, BRCA1; D006801:Humans; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012307:Risk Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53