Review Article

Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: Adjuvant Therapeutic Options

Table 1

Clinicopathological Features of TNBC versus BLBC versus BRCA-associated Breast Cancer.

CharacteristicsTriple-negative breast cancerBasal-like breast cancerBRCA-associated breast cancer

Receptor statusNegativeNegativeOften negative
HER2 StatusNegativeNegativeNegative
Cytokeratin 5/6, 17Often positivePositiveOften positive
EGFR expressionOften positiveOften positiveOften positive
p53Often mutatedOften mutatedOften mutated
BRCA statusMay be dysfunctional secondary to diminished expression or increased expression of negative regulators of the BRCA pathwayMay be dysfunctional secondary to diminished expression or increased expression of negative regulators of the BRCA pathwayInactivated secondary to a hereditary mutation
Molecular gene expression profileOften basal-likeBasal-likeOften basal-like
HistologyDuctal/poorly differentiated/high gradeDuctal/poorly differentiated/high gradeDuctal/poorly differentiated/high grade