Does having a family member with breast cancer raise my risk?

Question

Hello doctor,

I have been trying to understand what HR-positive and HER2-negative breast cancer means. One of my distant aunts has breast cancer, but I am not sure which type she has. I want to talk to my family about whether there are risks for us, but I need to understand more about it first. Trying to figure this out is a bit overwhelming, and I just want to ensure I have the correct information before asking about family risks.

What is the difference, and which type puts a woman more at risk?
Could you explain what these terms mean and which type is more concerning?

Kindly help.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I can understand your concern.

HR (hormone receptor) is positive, and HER2 (human epidermal growth factor receptor 2) is negative.

Usually, HR-positive breast cancers are better than HR-negative breast cancers, as hormone-positive breast cancers tend to grow slowly compared to hormone-negative, and these types of cancers are less aggressive.

HR-positive HER2-negative cancers are sometimes called luminal A breast cancers, as they need less aggressive treatment times, only surgery and hormonal therapy, and they have an excellent prognosis.

The survival of patients with this type of cancer depends upon the stage and molecular profile of the patient. In the early stage, or up to stage 3, this type of cancer is curable in most cases with proper treatment. Even stage 4 cancer does well with the treatment in many cases, and life can be extended, and quality of life can be improved.

Usually, there is no risk to you from your distant aunt. Her siblings or children should be screened in case she is proven to have BRCA-positive (breast cancer gene 1) breast cancer.

I hope this helps.

Thank you.