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Clinicopathological analyses of triple negative breast cancer using surveillance data from the Registration Committee of the Japanese Breast Cancer Society

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Abstract

Background

Triple negative (TN) breast cancer is defined as a subtype that is negative for estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PgR), and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). To clarify the characteristics of TN breast cancer, surveillance data of the Registration Committee of the Japanese Breast Cancer Society were analyzed.

Method

Of 14,748 cases registered in 2004, 11,705 (79.4%) were examined for ER, PgR, and HER2. Of these, the most prevalent (53.8%) was a hormone-responsive subtype with ER positive/PgR positive/HER2 negative, followed by TN subtype (15.5%).

Results

The proportion of postmenopausal patients was relatively high in the TN subtype. This cancer was diagnosed at a slightly advanced stage and with more cases positive for lymph node metastases than other subtypes. Morphologically, the TN subtype was more frequently classified as solid-tubular carcinoma. Mucinous, tubular, or secretary carcinomas were frequently found in the hormone receptor positive/HER2 negative subtype, while squamous cell carcinoma, spindle cell carcinoma, and metaplastic carcinoma with bone/cartilage metaplasia were very frequently found in the TN group. Apocrine carcinoma was also found very frequently in the TN group. Selection of chemotherapy was not based on receptor subtypes, but was determined by the degree of tumor progression.

Conclusions

Although TN types are similar to basal-like breast tumor, as determined by gene profiling, their diagnosis needs verification by determination of the level of epidermal growth factor receptor or cytokeratin 5/6 expression. TN type should be examined further for immunohistochemical features and analyzed for prognostic details in this cohort.

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Acknowledgment

We wish to thank Mr. Naohito Fukui, NPO Japan Clinical Research Support Unit. This work was supported by the research fund from the Japanese Breast Cancer Society.

Conflicts of interest statement.

The author and his immediate family members open their conflicts of interest as follows: Employment: none; leadership: none; consultant: none; stock: none; honoraria: H. Iwase, AstraZeneca, Novartis; J. Kurebayashi, AstraZeneca, Takeda; research fund: H. Iwase, AstraZeneca, Taiho, Chugai, Takeda; testimony: none; other: none.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Member of the Research Group, Japanese Breast Cancer Society, Tokyo, Japan

    Hirotaka Iwase, Junichi Kurebayashi, Hitoshi Tsuda, Tomohiko Ohta, Masafumi Kurosumi & Kazuaki Miyamoto

  2. Department of Breast and Endocrine Surgery, Kumamoto University, 1-1-1 Honjo, Kumamoto, 860-8556, Japan

    Hirotaka Iwase & Yutaka Yamamoto

  3. Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Kawasaki Medical University, Okayama, Japan

    Junichi Kurebayashi

  4. Pathology Section, Clinical Laboratory Division, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan

    Hitoshi Tsuda

  5. Division of Breast and Endocrine Surgery, Department of Surgery, St. Marianna University School of Medicine, Kawasaki, Japan

    Tomohiko Ohta

  6. Department of Pathology, Saitama Prefecture Cancer Center, Saitama, Japan

    Masafumi Kurosumi

  7. Department of Surgery, National Hospital Organization Kure Medical Center/Chugoku Cancer Center, Kure, Japan

    Kazuaki Miyamoto

  8. Director of the Registration Committee of the Japanese Breast Cancer Society, Tokyo, Japan

    Takuji Iwase

  9. Department of Breast Clinic, Cancer Institute Ariake Hospital, Tokyo, Japan

    Takuji Iwase

Authors
  1. Hirotaka Iwase
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  2. Junichi Kurebayashi
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  3. Hitoshi Tsuda
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  4. Tomohiko Ohta
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  5. Masafumi Kurosumi
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  6. Kazuaki Miyamoto
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  7. Yutaka Yamamoto
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  8. Takuji Iwase
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hirotaka Iwase.

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Iwase, H., Kurebayashi, J., Tsuda, H. et al. Clinicopathological analyses of triple negative breast cancer using surveillance data from the Registration Committee of the Japanese Breast Cancer Society. Breast Cancer 17, 118–124 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12282-009-0113-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12282-009-0113-0

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