What is Triple Negative-Breast Cancer?

In most types of breast cancer, the growth of cancerous cells is fueled by estrogen and other growth factors (e.g. HER2). The dependence of their growth on those factors can be identified in the tumor tissue by evaluating estrogen receptors, progesterone receptors and HER2 receptors. As the name implies, triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) occurs when none of these three receptors is present. As a relatively new finding, it is not known exactly how this type of breast cancer grows. Fortunately, research in the field of TNBC, which affects approximately fifteen percent of breast patients, is advancing daily.