The benefits of an experimental platinum-based class of drugs aimed at knocking out triple negative breast tumors could be applied to all such cancers, according to doctors at Fredricksburg Oncology.

Dr. Frederick Tucker said the unusual growth patterns of triple negative tumors could be key to providing insight into breast cancer in general.

"Understanding how triple negative cancers spread in the absence of normal growth factors may give us insight into how other types of breast cancer grow and spread even after treatment," he said.

About 15 percent of breast tumors are triple negative, which means their cancerous cells do not interact with progesterone, estrogen, and growth factor HER2, Fredricksburg Oncology said. This makes targeted breast cancer drugs like Tamoxifen much less effective in treating them, and can also undercut the utility of standard chemotherapy. However, doctors at the clinic say tests of platinum-based medicines could help sufferers of all forms of breast cancer.

Experts advise regular mammography for women passing into the most vulnerable age range for breast cancer, though the frequency is a matter of some debate.