Triple Negative and BRCA

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pamcycle
pamcycle Member Posts: 39
edited June 2014 in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Is there a correlation with triple negative and BRCA?  I am triple negative and recently learned a great grandmother had "some type of female abdominal cance" according to my father.  I am going to see a genetic counselor because of this.  Does anyone know what the incidence is of having triple negative and BRCA? 

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  • ebann
    ebann Member Posts: 3,026
    edited July 2010

    I know that I am a triple negative and I was negative for the BRCA so I do not think there is any correlation to it. I have a big history of cancer in our family too. Wish you the  best

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  • justpayton1
    justpayton1 Member Posts: 786
    edited July 2010

    I am TN and BRCA1. I have a strong family history, my Mother and Grandmother in addition to my Grandmothers sister and my Mothers cousin. I believe that the chances of carrying the BRCA1 gene is something like 5% but don't quote me on that.

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  • Titan
    Titan Member Posts: 2,956
    edited July 2010

    My SIL is brac1..her mom died of ovarian cancer.  My sil had breast cancer (2 years out) but it had nothing to do with her brac1.   She had a complete hysterectomy by the time she was 30 as a preventative measure.   She is 100% er-pr..she thinks that it was due to her HRT she took after her hysterectomy..isn't that ironic....

    My paternal grandmother had breast cancer..do I have brac 1 or 2?  Don't know..don't know if I want to know...however I'm going to talk to my onc about what he thinks of a hysterectomy for me..in the future...I don't need that stuff anymore anyway....

    I think there are some threads on here about brac 1 and 2 and triple negative...I think there may be a higher percentage of tn's that are brac1 or 2 but then again..reading on here..alot of tn's are not brac1 or 2..whose to say..we are all so different with our bc pathologies..

    It will be interesting to see what the counselor tells you..from what I understand "they" usually don't do the test unless you have a first degree relative with breast cancer...and that would not be your great great grandmother...

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  • Karen3
    Karen3 Member Posts: 307
    edited July 2010

    Hi

    I am triple neg and had tests for BRCA 1 and 2. I have a stong family history of ovarian cancer (mum), breast cancer (maternal aunt) and pancreatic cancer (maternal uncle) which points to a faulty gene. My BRCA tests were negative BUT I was told I had a 'mutation' of 'unknown significance' when they did the BRCA 1 tests. So, my blood sample / tumour sample etc has been sent off for the BRCA 3 research they are currently conducting in the UK. I had neoadjuvant chemotherapy too and the cancer was chemo resistant (which again points to a gene mutation). I have also been told that you are more likely to have triple neg cancer BC when you have a gene mutation but it is not always the case.

    Karen X

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  • Luah
    Luah Member Posts: 1,541
    edited July 2010

    From the reading I've done, you have a high risk of being triple negative if you have the BRCA gene mutation.  90% of BRCA carriers are trip neg. http://meeting.ascopubs.org/cgi/content/abstract/24/18_suppl/508

    However, that does NOT mean that 90% of trip neg breast cancer patients carry the BRCA gene mutation. One study suggests possibly about 11% of trip neg women do.  http://7thspace.com/headlines/305572/the_prevalence_of_brca_mutations_among_young_women_with_triple_negative_breast_cancer.html

    Genetics counsellors will look at incidences of breast, ovarian (and to a lesser extent) other cancers in your family.  Those in a first (sister, daughter, mother) or second degree relative (grandmother, aunt), particularly before age 50, are most relevant.  

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  • pamcycle
    pamcycle Member Posts: 39
    edited July 2010

    Thanks everyone for responding, I appreciate all of your input.

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  • MsBliss
    MsBliss Member Posts: 536
    edited July 2010

    Yes, in as much as women who are BRCA 1+, if they develop bc, tend to have triple negative.  But, the triple negative in this group is a subtype.  It tends to have medullary features.  At one time, but  not anymore, it was thought that the medullary features would confer some sort of favorabilty in terms of prognosis.

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  • MsBliss
    MsBliss Member Posts: 536
    edited July 2010

    I am triple negative, but tested BRCA negative in all categories.  Yet, there was a "BRCA-ness" to my tumor in that it had medullary and other features associated with BRCA tumors.  There is much to learn.

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  • MonikaV
    MonikaV Member Posts: 201
    edited July 2010

    Hi Pamcycle, I have been told that if you are  BRCA1 positive , you will also be triple negative.

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  • MRDRN
    MRDRN Member Posts: 537
    edited July 2010

    Most BRCA 1 are triple negative, however, my initial lesion in April was ER positive by 80%.



    http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2010/07/brca-genetic-targeted-cancer-treatment/

    It is amazing how much has been learned about this awful disease in the past 10yrs.  Thank God for all those who advance the fight!

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  • Lynn18
    Lynn18 Member Posts: 416
    edited October 2010

    When I was tested for BRCA, my result was "Variance of Unknown Significance."

    Has anyone heard of this?

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  • Del11
    Del11 Member Posts: 944
    edited July 2010

    My sisters and I are BRCA1+, and my sister had ER+ cancer. The numbers I've heard are 80% chance of TN if you're BRCA1.  BRCA2 has a much lower occurrence of TN bc.

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  • Cydz
    Cydz Member Posts: 157
    edited July 2010

    I think alot of BRAC 1 + are triple negative, but not the other way around. Cancer is crazy wild in my family!! My grandmother on my dad's side had breast cancer in her 50's followed by ovarian cancer in her 70's. My dad had pancreatic cancer and now I have had both breast cancer and melanoma both dx at 50. I also have a cousin on my dad's side that had breast cancer diagnosed when she was 50. She didn't do the genetic testing, but I have to believe that she would be BRCA 1 positive as well. She was also triple neg. Her father had esophageal cancer. All that and that is just my dad's side! My mother's side had her share as well, but my mutation (4154delA) is traced from my dad's. 

    I pulled the following off of breastcancer.org, from a section called "Who gets Triple Negative Breast Cancer":

    People with a BRCA1 mutation. When people with an inherited BRCA1 mutation develop breast cancer, especially before age 50, it is usually found to be triple-negative.

     What does medullary mean? I have never heard that in reference to triple negative, just that triple negative is more often than not basal like. I am confusing this or can it be both medullary and basal? 

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  • Carlatap
    Carlatap Member Posts: 96
    edited July 2010

    I am TN, and tested positive for BRCA2 and am 51 years old. I was surprised, thinking that I would be BRCA1. My paternal grandmother had breast cancer, but later died of ovarian cancer. We now have found out that my grandmother's sister's daughters also had breast cancer. My sister has also tested positive for the BRCA2 mutation, and my 23 year old daughter has tested positive as well. I had my ovaries and tubes removed in 09, and I'm having a double mastectomy with reconstruction August 11.  The trouble with TN, is that you can have these surgeries done so you don't get a new cancer, but there still is a chance to have the cancer recure. I just want to make sure that I have done all that I can.

    Carla

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  • tibet
    tibet Member Posts: 545
    edited July 2010

    cydz

    I read BRCA1 doesn't have link to Melanoma and doesn't have link to pancretic cancer either. It is BRCA2 has the link to Melanoma and pancretic.

    BRCA1 has most risks in Breast and overy.

    Did your cusin survive the TN?

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  • Cydz
    Cydz Member Posts: 157
    edited July 2010

    Newalex,I have seen that too, that BRCA 2 is the one that links to pc and melanoma. But I tested negative for BRCA 2. I have read however that BRCA 1 can lead to pc in men. I don't think my melanoma is related to my gene mutation. I think at that time my body was just ripe for cancer. If that makes sense. My cousin did survive with no complications, 5 years out now.

    Carla, My onc told me that being a BRCA TN is better than being a sporadic TN. At least you know where it is coming from, like the hormone pos bcs, unlike TN which is a mystery. We can be proactive and surgically remove everything possible to lessen our recurrence rate. My understanding is after bi mx and ooph, my chances go down to 10% even as a TN. I like those odds! I don't know if other BRCA + people feel the same way, but I think that while knowing you are BRCA+ is scary, I am glad to know and that there are steps, like you said, Carla, to make sure we are doing whatever we can! In the midst of the cancer storm, I feel like I have a bit of control.

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