Luminal B

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lUMINAL-B (eSTROGEN/ PROGESTERONE RELATED) BREAST CANCER

LUMINAL B – ESTROGEN AND PROGESTERONE RELATED BREAST CANCER

Luminal B breast cancer, like Luminal A, is an estrogen positive-related breast cancer with progesterone positive.

Luminal B breast cancer can also include another breast cancer sub-type called HER/2 – positive or negative.

That’s good news because Luminal B responds well to hormonal treatment like Tamoxifen.

So Luminal B (like Luminal A), are linked with a good prognosis and excellent long-term survival (approximately 80%–85% 5-year survival), in general.

 

HOWEVER,

  1. Luminal B breast cancer is slightly more aggressive than Luminal A.
  1. Luminal B types are not as common as Luminal A which represents about 20% of patients in general, however,
  1. This type of cancer also is more common among younger and Black women.

 

WHY?

Apparently, it’s all about what is called Ki-67 protein.

One of the things that make cancer cells different from normal healthy cells is the way in which breast cancer cells change. Let’s say, mutate.

 

There’s a difference because,

  • Breast cancer cells do not stop growing and,
  • They keep dividing with speed (proliferation)

 

Ki-67 is used as a marker of cell growth and speed. The faster they divide the greater amount of BC cells produce.

In Luminal B, there tend to be higher levels of Ki-67 and therefore, the prognosis is slightly worse. This information is factored into your treatment with some researchers suggesting this marker may even identify where chemotherapy is unnecessary. However, this is a general view with experts not entirely agreeing on Ki-67 analysis.

Research in this area is ongoing with some regarding the test for Ki-67 as UNRELIABLE.

CHEMOTHERAPY

A positive, so to speak, is that high levels of Ki-67 proteins appear to respond well to chemotherapy. If your cancer is particularly aggressive, this may be a good thing. Again, this is not settled work.

 

SYMPTOMS

  • A lump in the breast or under your arm.
  • A change in your breast shape – Swollen? A thickening?
  • Skin change – Dimpling? Red? Flaky?
  • Nipple – Discharge? Sinks inward?

 

TREATMENT

 

1. TARGETED THERAPIES

  • Your doctor may recommend that you have targeted therapy, sometimes called immunotherapy

 

    • Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors are drugs that block immune checkpoints.

 

    • T-cell Transfer Therapy boosts the natural ability of your T- cellsto fight cancer. (T- cells have been investigated as a biomarker of the tumor immune response in many studies) but little is still understood for black breast cancer patients.

 

    • In this treatment, immune cells are taken from your tumor. Those that are most active against your cancer are developed artificially in a laboratory, to better attack your cancer cells. Those cells are put back into your body in large amounts, through a needle in a vein.

 

2. TRADITIONAL ADDITIONAL ROUTES

  • Surgery to remove cancer cells,
  • Chemotherapy,
  • Radiation therapy &
  • Hormonal Treatment

plans ahead

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Black Breast Cancer


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CONTACT

  • 1-215-954-2364
  • info@blackbreastcancer.com
  • Jersey City, NJ

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