Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To analyze the clinical, pathological, and sociodemographic aspects between triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and non-TNBC in a Brazilian cohort and identify potential prognostic factors. METHODS: This hospital-based retrospective cohort study included 447 women with breast cancer treated at referral centers in Southeastern Brazil. Overall and disease-free survival were compared; prognostic factors were evaluated. RESULTS: Triple-negative breast cancer corresponded to 19.5% of breast cancer diagnosis and was more prevalent among nonwhite and less educated women. The patients with TNBC tended to present with stage III cancer, high p53 expression, lymphocytic infiltration, and multifocality and treated with radical surgery and chemotherapy. The 5-year overall and disease-free survival were 62.1% and 57.5% for TNBC and 80.8% and 75.3% for non-TNBC, respectively (P < .001). The TNBC recurrence was associated with multicentricity, whereas lymph node involvement increased the risk of both recurrence and death. Non-TNBC worse clinical course was associated with nonwhite ethnicity, lower education level, lymph node involvement, and advanced stage. CONCLUSIONS: Triple-negative breast cancer exhibited a more aggressive behavior, earlier and more frequent recurrence, and worse survival compared with non-TNBC. While biological and social variables were associated with poorer prognosis in non-TNBC, only lymph node involvement and multicentricity were correlated with worse clinical outcomes in TNBC.