By initiative of the World Health Organization (WHO), October is the month dedicated to breast cancer awareness. As it is the most common cause of death from cancer in women living in America, it is important to make a call to make society aware of the importance of early detection.
Statistics from the Global Cancer Observatory (Globocan), indicate that breast cancer is the second type of cancer with the highest incidence at the national level. Likewise, according to data from the Health Surveillance Directorate of the Ministry of Health, in Costa Rica for the year 2020, 427 women died as a result of breast cancer, which continues to be the number one cause of death from cancer in women. country women.
Learn about triple negative breast cancer
There are different types of breast cancer, including triple negative breast cancer. This is aggressive because it grows quickly, and in most cases, it is likely to have spread by the time it is detected. Also, it is more likely to come back after treatment than other types of breast cancer.
Here are 5 relevant facts that people should know about triple negative breast cancer:
• It represents 15% of all cases of breast cancer. There are different types of breast cancer and the triple negative represents approximately 15% of all cases of breast cancer.
• He is known to be very aggressive and difficult to deal with. It receives this name because the cancer cells of this type of cancer do not have receptors for estrogen or progesterone (ER or PR) and do not produce too much of the protein called human epidermal growth factor (HER2). In this way the tumor is triple negative: negative for estrogen receptors (ER), negative for progesterone receptors (PR), negative for the HER2 protein.
• It tends to be more common in women under 40 years of age and in young black people.
• In addition to factors such as ethnic origin, use of birth control pills, socioeconomic and lifestyle issues, there are other variables that increase the risk of developing breast cancer in women: such as age, personal history of cancer breast cancer and a family history of breast cancer both on the paternal and maternal lines.
• Early detection is the key. Sometimes breast cancer is detected after symptoms appear, but many women never show symptoms. This is why regular screening tests are so important.
Given this reality, the American Cancer Society offers reference guidelines for early detection for women with average risk of breast cancer:
• Between the ages of 40 and 44, women have the option of starting screening with an annual mammogram.
• Ages 45-54 should have a mammogram every year.
• Starting at age 55, women can have a mammogram every 2 years, or they can choose to continue having their mammograms yearly.
• There are different options for your treatment. If the cancer has not spread to distant sites, surgery is an option. Chemotherapy may be given first to shrink a large tumor, followed by surgery. Chemotherapy is often recommended after surgery to lower the chances of the cancer coming back. Radiation might also be an option depending on certain characteristics of the tumor and the type of surgery you had.
• Likewise, immunotherapy is one of the therapeutic alternatives approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to be considered for patients with advanced triple negative breast cancer.
Consult your doctor for more information about this type of cancer and treatment.
