Identification of a Triple Negative Breast Cancer

Triple negative (TN) breast cancer (estrogen receptor negative, progesterone receptor negative, and Her2 neu not overexpressed) is often more aggressive than other forms of breast cancer. It is also more common in women of African Ancestry (WAA). Our lab has been studying the molecular genetics of TN breast cancer in WAA. We have focused on a protein called Kaiso which is involved in the process of converting DNA to RNA. The research found that this protein was important in the growth and spread of breast cancer cells. We studied approximately 120 TN breast cancers from women from Barbados and Nigeria. Kaiso overexpression was associated with poor prognosis. Future research will determine whether Kaiso can be used in the treatment of WAA who have breast cancer