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Health Disparity or Bad Biology? An Analysis of Triple Negative Breast Cancer Patients in an Urban Academic Hospital

Lindsay P, Chandler SC, Laurel LM, Deepa B, Rao R, Katherine K, Denise M, Elizabeth M and Andrea M

Background: 10-25% of patients diagnosed with breast cancer have triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). TNBC is more aggressive than receptor-positive breast cancer. Objective: The objective of this study is to examine the demographics of this patient population. Methods: The Commission on Cancer tumor registry was queried for breast cancers from 2006 to 2013. The tumors were divided into groups according to receptor status. Patient demographics were then analyzed along with TNM staging defined by the American Joint Committee on Cancer. Results: Breast cancer tumors were identified (n=3267) and complete receptor data was available for 1238 tumors. Of these, 83% (1028/1238) of tumors were non-TNBC, while 17% (210/1238) were TNBC. Patients with TNBC were more likely be <40 years of age (p=0.018) and African American (p<0001). No significant difference was found comparing insurance type, median household income, or duration from diagnosis to definitive treatment between the TNBC and non-TNBC groups. Conclusion: TNBC is more common among African-American and younger women, but not more common among uninsured patients or those below the poverty level. This suggests an actual difference in tumor biology and not simply a health disparity