Size matters: a review of the challenges in and importance of multimodal approaches to the management of patients with small, node-negative, triple-negative breast cancer

Patients diagnosed with small (T1a-c) node-negative triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) comprise an understudied population. These patients have been commonly excluded from participation in large, practice-changing clinical trials that establish improvements in disease-free and overall survival due...

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Main Authors: Vishnu Prasath, Briana To, Dionisia M. Quiroga, Bridget A. Oppong, Kai Johnson, Benjin Facer, Robert Wesolowski
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-07-01
Series:Frontiers in Oncology
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fonc.2025.1465147/full
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author Vishnu Prasath
Vishnu Prasath
Briana To
Briana To
Dionisia M. Quiroga
Bridget A. Oppong
Kai Johnson
Benjin Facer
Robert Wesolowski
author_facet Vishnu Prasath
Vishnu Prasath
Briana To
Briana To
Dionisia M. Quiroga
Bridget A. Oppong
Kai Johnson
Benjin Facer
Robert Wesolowski
author_sort Vishnu Prasath
collection DOAJ
description Patients diagnosed with small (T1a-c) node-negative triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) comprise an understudied population. These patients have been commonly excluded from participation in large, practice-changing clinical trials that establish improvements in disease-free and overall survival due to neoadjuvant or adjuvant systemic therapies as well as innovative local therapies. Despite this, patients with small, node-negative TNBC are at higher risk for early relapse compared to patients with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer matched for the same T and N stage. We highlight retrospective and prospective studies that analyze the benefit of chemotherapy in small node-negative TNBC patients. Furthermore, we discuss current guidelines for radiation therapy, surgical management, and relevant studies examining local therapy for patients with early-stage node-negative TNBC.
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institution Kabale University
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language English
publishDate 2025-07-01
publisher Frontiers Media S.A.
record_format Article
series Frontiers in Oncology
spelling doaj-art-d0363c9c7aca40e295f5d14a85e448db2025-08-20T03:55:54ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Oncology2234-943X2025-07-011510.3389/fonc.2025.14651471465147Size matters: a review of the challenges in and importance of multimodal approaches to the management of patients with small, node-negative, triple-negative breast cancerVishnu Prasath0Vishnu Prasath1Briana To2Briana To3Dionisia M. Quiroga4Bridget A. Oppong5Kai Johnson6Benjin Facer7Robert Wesolowski8Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, United StatesDivision of Medical Oncology, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH, United StatesDepartment of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, United StatesDivision of Medical Oncology, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH, United StatesDivision of Medical Oncology, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH, United StatesDivision of Surgical Oncology, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH, United StatesDivision of Medical Oncology, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH, United StatesDivision of Radiation Oncology, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH, United StatesDivision of Medical Oncology, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH, United StatesPatients diagnosed with small (T1a-c) node-negative triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) comprise an understudied population. These patients have been commonly excluded from participation in large, practice-changing clinical trials that establish improvements in disease-free and overall survival due to neoadjuvant or adjuvant systemic therapies as well as innovative local therapies. Despite this, patients with small, node-negative TNBC are at higher risk for early relapse compared to patients with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer matched for the same T and N stage. We highlight retrospective and prospective studies that analyze the benefit of chemotherapy in small node-negative TNBC patients. Furthermore, we discuss current guidelines for radiation therapy, surgical management, and relevant studies examining local therapy for patients with early-stage node-negative TNBC.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fonc.2025.1465147/fulltriple-negative breast cancerchemotherapyradiation therapysurgical oncologymultimodal management
spellingShingle Vishnu Prasath
Vishnu Prasath
Briana To
Briana To
Dionisia M. Quiroga
Bridget A. Oppong
Kai Johnson
Benjin Facer
Robert Wesolowski
Size matters: a review of the challenges in and importance of multimodal approaches to the management of patients with small, node-negative, triple-negative breast cancer
Frontiers in Oncology
triple-negative breast cancer
chemotherapy
radiation therapy
surgical oncology
multimodal management
title Size matters: a review of the challenges in and importance of multimodal approaches to the management of patients with small, node-negative, triple-negative breast cancer
title_full Size matters: a review of the challenges in and importance of multimodal approaches to the management of patients with small, node-negative, triple-negative breast cancer
title_fullStr Size matters: a review of the challenges in and importance of multimodal approaches to the management of patients with small, node-negative, triple-negative breast cancer
title_full_unstemmed Size matters: a review of the challenges in and importance of multimodal approaches to the management of patients with small, node-negative, triple-negative breast cancer
title_short Size matters: a review of the challenges in and importance of multimodal approaches to the management of patients with small, node-negative, triple-negative breast cancer
title_sort size matters a review of the challenges in and importance of multimodal approaches to the management of patients with small node negative triple negative breast cancer
topic triple-negative breast cancer
chemotherapy
radiation therapy
surgical oncology
multimodal management
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fonc.2025.1465147/full
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