Question 1

What does it mean for breast cancer to be "hormone receptor-positive"?

Accepted Answer

Many breast cancers grow in response to the hormones oestrogen and progesterone. When breast cancer cells carry receptors for one or both of these hormones, the cancer is described as hormone receptor-positive (often written as ER+ or PR+). This biology shapes a large part of breast cancer research, because it opens the door to a class of treatment called endocrine therapy, designed to block the hormonal signals that fuel growth.

Question 2

What is HER2-positive breast cancer?

Accepted Answer

HER2 is a protein found on the surface of all cells, but in some breast cancers the cancer cells make far too much of it. This overexpression drives faster growth and is referred to as HER2-positive disease. HER2 status is one of the most important biological markers in breast cancer research, and a large family of treatments, including targeted therapies and antibody-drug conjugates, has been developed specifically to act on tumours that carry it.

Question 3

What is triple negative breast cancer (TNBC)?

Accepted Answer

Triple negative breast cancer is a subtype where the cancer cells lack the three most commonly studied targets in breast cancer: oestrogen receptors, progesterone receptors, and HER2 overexpression. Because those targets aren't present, treatments developed for hormone receptor-positive or HER2-positive disease don't apply to TNBC. It tends to be more aggressive than other subtypes, and is a major focus of research into immunotherapy, antibody-drug conjugates, and approaches targeting specific genetic mutations such as BRCA.

Breast Cancer clinical trials in Australia

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Breast Cancer clinical trials: common questions

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