Researchers From Around the World Gather to Discuss Triple Negative Bre...( Aggressive Subtype of Breast Cancer ...),Health

Aggressive Subtype of Breast Cancer is Hard to Treat and Occurs Most Often

in Young Women, African American Women

SAN ANTONIO, Dec. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- The Triple Negative Breast Cancer Foundation (TNBC), and Susan G. Komen for the Cure convened one of the first "think tanks" dedicated specifically to triple negative breast cancer, a particularly aggressive and difficult-to-treat form of the disease. The meeting was held prior to the opening of the annual San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070122/NYM084LOGO)

Thirty researchers, from leading cancer institutions in North America and Europe, were invited to share information on the latest science, to discuss potential research collaborations and develop a scientific agenda for future research and clinical trials to find effective treatment for women with this subtype of breast cancer. The meeting also marked the first joint effort between Komen for the Cure and TNBC to share resources to accelerate research and progress for these women who are not benefiting from recent advances.

Research shared at the "think tank" showed that approximately 15 percent of breast cancer cases can be categorized as triple negative, but incidence rates among African American women, especially younger African American women, are significantly higher. These tumors lack the three receptors shown to fuel most breast cancers -- estrogen receptors, progesterone receptors and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) -- and generally do not respond to receptor-targeted treatments.

"We've made significant advances for many patients by using hormonal therapies for women with estrogen and progesterone positive breast cancers and new targeted therapies for women with HER2 positive breast cancer, as we'll all see in presentations at the San Antonio meeting ov
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