Rates of the 4 major molecular subtypes of breast cancer and their treatment implications were new additions to the National Cancer Institute's annual report to the nation, released last week.

The subtypes, categorized by combinations of expression of HR and HER2, vary in rates according to racial and ethnic groups as follows:

• Luminal A (HR+/HER2-) accounts for 73% of all breast cancer cases, has the best prognosis, and is the most common subtype for every race, age, and poverty level.

• Triple Negative (HR-/HER2-) makes up 13% of all breast cancer cases, and has the worst prognosis, with non-Hispanic blacks having the highest rate of this subtype at every age and poverty level.

• Luminal B (HR+/HER2+) represents 10% of all breast cancers and has little geographic variation by state.

• HER2-enriched (HR-/HER2+) makes up 5% of all breast cancers, with the lowest rates for all races and ethnicities.

Citation: Kohler BA, Sherman RL, Howlader N, et al. Annual report to the nation on the status of cancer, 1975-2011, featuring incidence of breast cancer subtypes by race/ethnicity, poverty, and state. Natl Cancer Inst. 2015;107(6). pii: djv048. doi:10.1093/jnci/djv048.