Black women more prone to deadlier forms of breast cancer

The more aggressive types of cancer, called triple negative, are difficult-to-treat and often deadly, researchers say.

"In technical terms: Triple negative breast cancer is negative for three markers used to determine treatment: the estrogen receptor, the progesterone receptor and HER-2/neu."

"Recent advances in breast cancer treatments target each of the receptors, but targeting all three is a major problem," study’s lead researcher, Dr. Lisa A. Newman, director of the Breast Care Center at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center averred.

The details of the study
For the purpose of the study, researchers from the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center tracked nearly 1,700 women, all of whom were seeking treatment for breast cancer at the Henry Ford Health System in Detroit.

On basis of their descent, the participants were divided into three categories -African-American women, white women and African women.

Researchers looked at the type of breast cancer being diagnosed for each study subject.

The occurrence of "triple negative", the type of breast being tracked in the study, was most common in women with African ancestry. 82 percent of African women were afflicted by the version as against 26 percent of African-American volunteers and 16 percent of the white American women.

The findings were built on previous evidence which had established a genetic link for the type of breast cancer a woman might develop.

Previous studies indicated that while African-American women are less likely than American women to develop breast cancer, those afflicted with the disease are usually younger. Also, such women are more likely to die from the disease.

Findings may aid new developments
Researchers are hopeful that the current findings may aid experts in developing new techniques which may find women predisposed to more aggressive and lethal forms of cancers.

"African ancestry might be associated with other links to hereditary predisposition for particular patterns of breast cancer," Newman added.

He further stated that, "We hope that by studying breast cancer in African and African-American women we can identify biomarkers that might be useful for assessing risk or treating triple-negative breast cancer."

According to the American Cancer Society, nearly 200,000 American women will be diagnosed of breast cancer in 2010, of which around 41,000 cases will prove fatal.

The findings of the study feature online July 13 in the journal Cancer.