Dr. Yee Discusses the Categorization of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Douglas Yee, MD, professor of medicine and pharmacology, Hematology, Oncology and Transplant, medical oncologist, University of Minnesota, discusses the categorization of patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).

The biggest unmet need in TNBC is the categorization of patients into relevant groups, says Yee. TNBC is currently categorized by gene expression profiling, but it is still not known whether those sub-categories can guide clinical decision. For example, before HER2 was discovered, patients with HER2-positive breast cancer were buried within the larger population of breast cancer, Yee says. Once HER2-directed strategies were discovered, the treatment approach for these patients changed, which subsequently altered outcomes.

Some patients with TNBC express the androgen receptor (AR), but to date, the clinical translation does not exist. Yee says that although AR is expressed, it does not necessarily mean that AR-positive patients should receive antiandrogens, but this is an evolving field.