The hazards of triple-negative breast cancer

Triple-negative breast cancer refers specifically to breast cancer patients who are negative for estrogen receptors, progesterone receptors, and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2. Triple-negative breast cancer is clinically characterized by an aggressive course of disease, with a higher risk of distant metastasis, a higher chance of visceral metastasis than bone metastasis, and a higher chance of brain metastasis. The hazards of breast cancer are mainly manifested in some damage to the human body after treatment, mainly the following:

1. Muscle atrophy of the upper limbs and hands: It is often caused by damage to the brachial plexus or its sheath during surgery, and atrophy of the hypothenar muscles is common.

2. Bleeding: Bleeding is one of the most common complications after surgery. This complication may occur after lumpectomy or radical resection.

3. Skin flap necrosis: Skin flap necrosis is also a common complication after breast cancer surgery. Because of skin flap necrosis, healing is delayed, which may affect subsequent diagnosis and treatment.

4. Edema of the upper limbs: After radical mastectomy, the lymph and blood return of the upper limbs is obstructed, which can easily cause edema of the upper limbs.

5. The risk of distant metastasis of triple-negative breast cancer reaches a peak at 3 years and may decline thereafter. The median tumor size of triple-negative breast cancer is 2 cm, and 50% have lymph node metastasis. The histological grade of this type of breast cancer is mostly grade 3, and the cell proliferation ratio is high.

There are currently no specific treatment guidelines for triple-negative breast cancer. Therefore, its treatment is generally carried out according to the conventional standard treatment of breast cancer. Compared with other types of breast cancer, chemotherapy is more effective for triple-negative breast cancer, but if it is only treated with conventional standard treatment, its prognosis is still very poor.