Getting a second opinion for a cancer diagnosis is highly recommended, but even more so if you face triple negative breast cancer, which can be aggressive and difficult to treat.

A new study led by Moffitt Cancer Center pathologist Dr. Marilin Rosa shows that triple negative breast cancer may be frequently overdiagnosed and reclassified after expert review and biomarker retesting. Moffitt investigators presented the data at the 2018 United States & Canadian Academy of Pathology Annual Meeting in Vancouver. 

Researchers reviewed over 560 cases of breast cancer referred to Moffitt and found that 113 were initially classified as triple negative by external evaluation. After biomarker retesting, about 28 percent of the triple negative cases were reclassified as hormone receptor positive.

Moffitt’s study demonstrates the value of biomarker retesting for triple negative breast cancers before selecting an appropriate treatment plan. A second opinion that changes your diagnosis can have a huge impact on survival.

In triple negative breast cancer, the three most common types of receptors known to fuel most breast cancer growth — estrogen, progesterone and the HER2 gene — are not present. This makes common treatments such as hormone therapy and drugs that target the three missing receptors ineffective.

Up to 20 percent of breast cancer diagnoses are triple negative and are more likely to affect younger patients, blacks, Hispanics and those with a BRCA1 gene mutation. This disease is also more likely to spread and recur.

The takeaway: Having an accurate cancer diagnosis is critical to planning appropriate treatment. If you are diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer, consider getting a second opinion before starting a treatment plan.