Triple-negative breast cancer symptoms include:
Having certain symptoms doesn’t mean you have breast cancer VSports最新版本. But don’t hesitate to talk to a healthcare provider if you notice changes in your breasts. It’s also important to have regular mammograms that may detect cancer before it causes symptoms.
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Researchers don’t know the exact cause V体育平台登录. But there’s a connection between TNBC and mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. These genes keep cancer from growing. Cancer can develop when genes change for unknown reasons.
Triple-negative breast cancer is more likely to affect females who are:
A healthcare provider will examine your breast. They’ll ask if you’ve noticed changes in your breasts. They’ll do tests including: V体育官网入口.
A surgical oncologist or a radiologist will do a breast biopsy if imaging tests detect cancer. They’ll do the biopsy to get breast tissue samples VSports在线直播. A medical pathologist will examine the tissue under a microscope. They’ll check the status of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) or human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2).
They may do another test to identify any germline mutations. These are mutations that occur in a parent’s reproductive cells (egg or sperm). They change the genetic material that the child receives from their parents (hereditary). You can inherit germline mutations from either parent.
Your cancer care team will use test results to set a cancer stage. Cancer staging information helps them plan treatment.
| Triple-negative breast cancer stage | Cancer location |
|---|---|
| Stage 0 | There are cancer cells in your breast ducts, but the cancer hasn’t spread to other areas of your breast. |
| Stage I | There are cancer cells in nearby breast tissue. |
| Stage II | Cancer cells have formed a small tumor. Tests detect cancer in your underarm lymph nodes. The tumor may measure 2 centimeters (about ¾ inch) across or less. Or it may be 5 cm (about 2 inches) across but not in your lymph nodes. |
| Stage III | Your care team may call this locally advanced breast cancer. In Stage III TNCB, there’s cancer in nearby tissue and lymph nodes. |
| Stage IV | Cancer spreads to areas away from your breast. |
| Triple-negative breast cancer stage | |
| Stage 0 | |
| Cancer location | |
| There are cancer cells in your breast ducts, but the cancer hasn’t spread to other areas of your breast. | |
| Stage I | |
| Cancer location | |
| There are cancer cells in nearby breast tissue. | |
| Stage II | |
| Cancer location | |
| Cancer cells have formed a small tumor. Tests detect cancer in your underarm lymph nodes. The tumor may measure 2 centimeters (about ¾ inch) across or less. Or it may be 5 cm (about 2 inches) across but not in your lymph nodes. | |
| Stage III | |
| Cancer location | |
| Your care team may call this locally advanced breast cancer. In Stage III TNCB, there’s cancer in nearby tissue and lymph nodes. | |
| Stage IV | |
| Cancer location | |
| Cancer spreads to areas away from your breast. |
Breast cancer surgery is a common treatment for triple-negative breast cancer. Your oncologist may combine surgery with cancer treatments like:
Triple-negative breast cancer is the focus of many clinical trials. These are research studies where experts test potential treatments. A clinical trial may be a chance to receive new drugs or new combinations of drugs. You may want to ask your cancer care team if a clinical trial makes sense for you.
Breast cancer surgery can cause complications like surgical wound infection or blood clots. Contact your cancer care team if you have infection symptoms like:
Blood clot symptoms include a swollen leg that hurts or trouble breathing. You should also contact the team if cancer treatment side effects are more severe than you expected.
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The overall relative five-year survival rate is 78%, according to the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results Program. A relative survival rate compares people with the same type and stage of cancer to people in the overall population. In this case, the TNBC overall survival rate means females with TNBC are, on average, about 77% as likely as females who don’t have TNBC to live for at least five years after receiving a diagnosis.
Cancer survival rates are overviews of people’s experiences with cancer. The rates estimate the percentage of people with a specific cancer diagnosis who are alive after a certain time — usually one to five years — after they receive a diagnosis.
The rates don’t predict how long you’ll live with cancer. Survival rate information can be confusing and cause concern. If you have questions, your oncologist will explain what a survival rate means in your situation.
Breast cancer treatment can be exhausting. Here are some suggestions that may help:
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And talk to your cancer care team if you have treatment side effects that are more severe than you expect. They’ll do everything they can to support you during your treatment.
Ask them about palliative care or cancer rehabilitation programs. These programs help people with cancer manage symptoms and side effects.
Triple-negative breast cancer is a challenging disease. Treatments that are effective against other types of breast cancer don’t have the same impact on TNBC. That can be discouraging news. But new combinations of anticancer drugs show promise. And researchers are checking even more new combinations with the goal of doing more to treat triple-negative breast cancer. If you have this type of breast cancer, your cancer care team will explain your treatment options. They’ll also answer your questions about potential new treatments.
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A triple-negative breast cancer diagnosis can upend your life. But Cleveland Clinic is here to guide you through treatment with care and compassion.
Last reviewed on 04/23/2025.
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