Updated June 12th, 2023

New Study Identifies Genes Linked to Increased Risk for Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

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A Mayo Clinic research team says it has identified a group of genes that are associated with an increased risk of developing triple-negative breast cancer. Any finding that may lead to better screening for triple-negative breast cancer is a big deal. "Everybody is nervous about triple-negative breast cancer," says Dr. Marleen Meyers, a medical oncologist at NYU Perlmutter Cancer Center, "because, of all the breast cancers, it is considered the most aggressive type, and it is the most difficult to treat."

Triple-negative breast cancer can not be treated using targeted therapies, it has a high risk of recurrence and a poor five-year survival rate. The researchers hope the findings will provide a basis for better risk management. After testing more than 10,000 people with triple-negative breast cancer, researchers found that alterations in BARD1, BRCA1, BRCA2, PALB2 and RAD51D genes were associated with a higher risk for triple-negative breast cancer and a greater than 20% lifetime risk for overall breast cancer among Caucasians. They observed a similar trend in African-Americans.

“This study is the first to establish which genes are associated with high lifetime risks of triple-negative breast cancer,” says Dr. Fergus Couch, who led the study. Dr. Couch say these findings will enable expanded genetic testing to identify women at risk for triple-negative breast cancer and may potentially lead to better prevention strategies.

“I think what this re-enforces is that if you are diagnosed with breast cancer, that it is important to understand that you should be tested for other genes apart from BRCA1 and BRCA2,” Dr. Kathie-Ann Joseph, a breast surgeon at NYU Perlmutter Cancer Center, tells SurvivorNet.

In addition to improved screening, these findings may contribute to a change in the way triple-negative breast cancer is treated. "Finding that these genes play a role in triple-negative breast cancer provides a better understanding of this group of tumors," says Dr. Xia Wang, a geneticist at Moffitt Cancer Center. "Beyond guidelines for prevention and testing, I'm sure there is also going to be an impact on the treatment. This finding feels like the closing of a circle," Dr. Wang says.

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