Who Is at Risk for Triple-Negative Breast Cancer?
Triple-negative breast cancer is a rare and aggressive form of breast cancer. Here's how to understand your risk for this disease.
By
Carolyn Bernhardt
Updated on July 29, 2024
While triple-negative breast cancer is rare and only accounts for about 10 to 15 percent of all breast cancers, it grows and spreads more rapidly than most other breast cancer types, and has fewer treatment options.
Triple-negative breast cancer is a subtype of breast cancer that lacks estrogen receptors, progesterone receptors, and the HER2 protein on the surface of the cells. Estrogen, progesterone, and HER2 usually contribute to the growth of cancer cells and are key targets for many cancer treatments.
Without these receptors for medications to target, treatment is more challenging. However, oncologists can still treat triple-negative breast cancer by removing tumors surgically and prescribing chemotherapy, radiation, and immunotherapy drugs.
Here’s how to know if you might be at greater risk for triple-negative breast cancer.
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Understanding Breast Cancer Risk
People at High Risk for Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
Some people have a higher risk of triple-negative breast cancer than others. The following are some factors that may increase your risk.
A Family History of Breast Cancer
People with a family history of breast cancer are always at a higher risk of getting cancer. Family members with genetic changes (called mutations) that cause breast cancer pass it on to future generations. Some people with a family history of cancer inherit a mutation in the BRCA genes.
BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes help regulate how breast, ovarian, and other cells grow and divide. Cancer occurs when these cells grow too rapidly or in an uncontrolled way, so these genes are essential in helping to fight off the disease.
However, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), roughly 1 in every 500 women in the United States has a mutation in one of her BRCA genes. And about half of the women with a BRCA gene mutation will get breast cancer by the time they turn 70.
People with a mutation in their BRCA1 gene are at greater risk of developing triple-negative breast cancer, specifically. Women with a high risk should get a mammogram and breast MRI every year, typically starting at age 30, according to the American Cancer Society. Some women may need to start screening at age 20, such as women with a TP53 gene mutation or who have Li-Fraumeni syndrome.
Black or Ashkenazi Jewish Heritage
People of Ashkenazi Jewish heritage are at a higher risk of inheriting BRCA gene mutations that can cause breast cancers, such as triple-negative breast cancer, according to the CDC.
Black women are also at greater risk of developing triple-negative breast cancer. In a study published in 2022 of over 3,300 people with breast cancer, women with triple-negative breast cancer were twice as likely to be Black. And in another study that included almost 200,000 people, researchers found that Black women were almost three times as likely to be diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer than white women.
The reasons for this are not entirely understood by researchers yet, but they believe genetic, reduced access to healthcare, and socioeconomic factors may play a role.
Younger Age
Premenopausal women and those younger than 40 also have an increased risk of triple-negative breast cancer. Because screening mammograms are recommended starting at age 40 for women at average risk, it’s important for women of any age to be familiar with how their breasts normally look and feel so that they can quickly spot any unusual changes and seek advice from a doctor.
Some symptoms that one might notice with triple-negative breast cancer are:
- A lump in the breast
- Swelling, redness, or pain in the breast
- Dimpling of the breast skin
- Nipple retraction or discharge
- Swollen lymph nodes under the arm
However, many women have no symptoms at all and the breast cancer is found on a screening mammogram.
The Takeaway
Triple-negative breast cancer is a rare but aggressive cancer that grows and spreads rapidly. Some people have a higher risk for this type of cancer than others, including people with a BRCA gene mutation, people ages 40 and younger, and Black or Ashkenazi Jewish people. Even if you don’t have these specific risk factors, seek advice from a doctor if you notice any unusual changes in the way your breasts look or feel, and be sure to get your yearly mammogram.
Resources We Trust
- Mayo Clinic: Breast Cancer Prevention: How to Reduce Your Risk
- Cleveland Clinic: Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
- American Cancer Society: Genetic Counseling and Testing for Breast Cancer Risk
- MD Anderson Cancer Center: Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: 7 Things You Should Know
- Susan G. Komen: Breast Cancer Screening and Early Detection
Meet Our Experts
Lisa D. Curcio, MD, FACS
Medical Reviewer
Lisa Curcio, MD, is a board-certified general surgeon and a fellowship-trained surgical oncologist. She is currently the medical director of breast surgery at Northern Dutchess Hos...
Carolyn Bernhardt
Author
EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
- Triple-negative Breast Cancer. American Cancer Society. March 1, 2023.
- DePolo J. Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC). Breastcancer.org. July 18, 2024.
- What Causes Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancers. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- BRCA Gene Mutations. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- Breast Cancer Hormone Receptor Status. American Cancer Society. November 8, 2021.
- American Cancer Society Recommendations for the Early Detection of Breast Cancer. American Cancer Society. December 19, 2023.
- Breast Cancer Screening Tests for Women at Higher Risk. Susan G. Komen. May 3, 2024.
- Jewish Women and BRCA Gene Mutations. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- Siegel SD, Brooks MM, Lynch SM, et al. Racial disparities in triple negative breast cancer: toward a causal architecture approach. Breast Cancer Research. June 1, 2022.
- McCarthy AM, Friebel-Klingner T, Ehsan S, et al. Relationship of established risk factors with breast cancer subtypes. Cancer Medicine. August 31, 2021.
- Siddharth S, Sharma D. Racial Disparity and Triple-Negative Breast Cancer in African-American Women: A Multifaceted Affair between Obesity, Biology, and Socioeconomic Determinants. Cancers (Basel). December 14, 2018.
- Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: Treatment, Symptoms, Research. Breast Cancer Research Foundation. February 20, 2024.