The Triple Negative Breast Cancer Program at the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center was established to provide the best care possible to patients with triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). Our program aim is to provide state of the art, compassionate care to patients with all stages of TNBC, and to advance that care by conducting cutting-edge research. We also aim to enhance care through providing an array of educational and supportive programs and materials.
Over 275,000 patients will be diagnosed with breast cancer in 2020. Approximately 15% (over 40,000) will be triple negative breast cancer which is a type of breast cancer that lacks the 3 receptors (or markers) found in breast cancer – Estrogen Receptor, Progesterone Receptor, and HER2. This type of breast cancer is more common in younger women, underserved populations, and is associated with genetic alterations in the BRCA1 breast cancer gene. The TNBC Program at the Mass General Cancer Center was founded in 2018 with generous philanthropic support to develop more effective treatments and improve outcomes, education, and quality of life for patients with TNBC.
Our collaborate team of physicians and researchers work together to bring the latest advances in TNBC care into our clinic.
The Mass General Cancer Center is proud to be home to some of the leading experts in breast oncology. Our medical, surgical, and radiation oncologists work together to create a plan that fits your life and addresses your specific health needs. Our multidisciplinary team meets each day to discuss all newly diagnosed patients and create a plan that is personalized to you.
The Mass General Center for Breast Cancer offers an extensive array of clinical trials for patients with breast cancer. Triple negative breast cancer remains an unmet need, and many new trials are focused specifically on treating TNBC. The TNBC program can help you navigate which trials you may be eligible for. Clinical trials are available to TNBC patients at all stages of disease.
Find listings of all our current Breast Cancer Clinical Trials.
The Mass General Cancer Care Equity Program strives to promote awareness about and access to cancer clinical trials through community outreach and education, financial assistance, and patient navigation. Find out more about this program.
Our entire dedicated team of breast cancer physicians will work together with you to come up with a comprehensive plan to address your specific health needs.
Meet our clinical researchers with a specific focus on triple negative breast cancer:
The TNBC program understands that a cancer diagnosis affects more than just your physical health. We are proud to offer a wide array of support services to help you handle the complexities and challenges you may be facing. If you wish to be referred to any of the programs below, please contact your medical oncologist.
This program helps patients keep their hair or reduce how much hair they lose from chemo.
This program enhances body, mind & spirit both after and during breast cancer treatment.
Lymphedema (swelling) can be a side effect of breast cancer. Learn about our program.
Pts w/TNBC may be at increased risk for carrying a genetic alteration in the BRCA1 gene.
Our oncology social workers are here to help provide support for you and your family.
Learn about the resources available to you after initial treatment is complete.
Learn about the TNBC Foundation and the resources it provides.
Karaayvaz M, Cristea S, Gillespie SM, Patel AP, Mylvaganam R, Luo CC, Specht MC, Bernstein BE, Michor F, Ellisen LW. Unravelling subclonal heterogeneity and aggressive disease states in TNBC through single-cell RNA-seq. Nat Commun. 2018 Sep 4;9(1):3588. doi: 10.1038/s41467-018-06052-0. PMID: 30181541; PMCID: PMC6123496.
Bardia A, Mayer IA, Vahdat LT, Tolaney SM, Isakoff SJ, Diamond JR, O'Shaughnessy J, Moroose RL, Santin AD, Abramson VG, Shah NC, Rugo HS, Goldenberg DM, Sweidan AM, Iannone R, Washkowitz S, Sharkey RM, Wegener WA, Kalinsky K. Sacituzumab Govitecan-hziy in Refractory Metastatic Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. N Engl J Med. 2019 Feb 21;380(8):741-751. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1814213. PMID: 30786188.
Nagayama A, Vidula N, Ellisen L, Bardia A. Novel antibody–drug conjugates for triple negative breast cancer. Therapeutic Advances in Medical Oncology. January 2020. doi:10.1177/1758835920915980. PMID: 32426047.
Isakoff SJ, Mayer EL, He L, Traina TA, Carey LA, Krag KJ, Rugo HS, Liu MC, Stearns V, Come SE, Timms KM, Hartman AR, Borger DR, Finkelstein DM, Garber JE, Ryan PD, Winer EP, Goss PE, Ellisen LW. TBCRC009: A Multicenter Phase II Clinical Trial of Platinum Monotherapy With Biomarker Assessment in Metastatic Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. J Clin Oncol. 2015 Jun 10;33(17):1902-9. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2014.57.6660. Epub 2015 Apr 6. PMID: 25847936; PMCID: PMC4451173.
Ho AY, Barker CA, Arnold BB, Powell SN, Hu ZI, Gucalp A, Lebron-Zapata L, Wen HY, Kallman C, D'Agnolo A, Zhang Z, Flynn J, Dunn SA, McArthur HL. A phase 2 clinical trial assessing the efficacy and safety of pembrolizumab and radiotherapy in patients with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer. Cancer. 2020 Feb 15;126(4):850-860. doi: 10.1002/cncr.32599. Epub 2019 Nov 20. PMID: 31747077.
Spring L, Greenup R, Niemierko A, Schapira L, Haddad S, Jimenez R, Coopey S, Taghian A, Hughes KS, Isakoff SJ, Ellisen LW, Smith BL, Specht M, Moy B, Bardia A. Pathologic Complete Response After Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy and Long-Term Outcomes Among Young Women With Breast Cancer. J Natl Compr Canc Netw. 2017 Oct;15(10):1216-1223. doi: 10.6004/jnccn.2017.0158. PMID: 28982747.
Bardia A, Parton M, Kümmel S, Estévez LG, Huang CS, Cortés J, Ruiz-Borrego M, Telli ML, Martin-Martorell P, López R, Beck JT, Ismail-Khan R, Chen SC, Hurvitz SA, Mayer IA, Carreon D, Cameron S, Liao S, Baselga J, Kim SB. Paclitaxel With Inhibitor of Apoptosis Antagonist, LCL161, for Localized Triple-Negative Breast Cancer, Prospectively Stratified by Gene Signature in a Biomarker-Driven Neoadjuvant Trial. J Clin Oncol. 2018 Sep 20:JCO2017748392. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2017.74.8392. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 30235087.
Contact us to make an appointment or to learn more about our programs.
