Totally confused

Hi Deb,

It means that your tumour was positive for estrogen and pregesterone receptors i.e. these two hormones that are abundantly present in womans bodies help the cancer to grow and thrive, you were not positive for her2, this is a protein that helps normal and abnormal cells to grow and divide (the her2 gene is responsible for the her2 protein being made), however where too much of this protein is present on the surface of the cell a person tests positive for her2 receptors/

the reason being positive for these receptors is seen as favourable to trible negative is there are more treatment options as they can use tablets to supress these hormones and proteins, or in some cases remove the ovaries for er and pr positive women. The only treatments currently available for tn is surgery, chemo and radiation to the site. Trible negative is also usually a grade 3 cancer and occurs more often in younger women, so it is more agressive and faster growing and more inclined to spread than er+ pr+ and her2+ cancer/

in the past an awful lot of the research was carried out for positive cancers as they occur so often and tn was not recognised until recent years, there is now a lot of research being carried out to analyise it more and find out if the tn negative group is too vague that covers several different caners and potential cures or lifelines/

this is my understanding but i am not a medical professional.