American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Certification Practice Exam

What type of chemotherapy is typically recommended for hormone receptor-negative breast cancer?

1. Combination chemotherapy

2. Single-agent chemotherapy

3. Targeted therapy

4. Hormonal therapy

The correct answer is: Single-agent chemotherapy

For hormone receptor-negative breast cancer, combination chemotherapy is typically the recommended approach. This type of cancer, which does not express estrogen or progesterone receptors, does not benefit from hormonal therapies. Instead, a more aggressive treatment strategy is often required to address the absence of these receptors. The rationale for utilizing combination chemotherapy in this setting is twofold. First, hormone receptor-negative breast cancers tend to be more aggressive and have a higher likelihood of metastasis, which necessitates a more robust treatment regimen. Second, combination chemotherapy leverages the synergistic effects of different drugs, increasing the likelihood of effectively targeting and killing cancer cells while reducing the chances of resistance that can occur with single-agent therapies. Patients diagnosed with hormone receptor-negative breast cancer may also receive other treatments such as targeted therapy, particularly if the cancer is HER2-positive, but this is a different approach than traditional chemotherapy. Therefore, in cases of hormone receptor-negative breast cancer, combination chemotherapy remains the standard practice for systemic treatment.