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01-04-2008 | Review

Overcoming endocrine resistance in breast cancer—are signal transduction inhibitors the answer?

Authors: Philippe L. Bedard, Orit C. Freedman, Anthony Howell, Mark Clemons

Published in: Breast Cancer Research and Treatment | Issue 3/2008

Abstract

Endocrine therapy is probably the most important systemic therapy for hormone receptor positive breast cancer. Hormonal manipulation was the first targeted treatment employed in breast cancer therapy even before the role of the estrogen (ER) and progesterone receptors (PR) had been elucidated. Unfortunately, a substantial proportion of patients, despite being ER and/or PR positive, are either primarily resistant to hormone therapies or will develop hormone resistance during the course of their disease. Signaling through complex growth factor receptor pathways, which activate the ER are emerging as important causes of endocrine resistance. Targeted therapies, such as signal transduction inhibitors (STIs), are being explored as agents to be able to potentially overcome this crosstalk and thus, resistance to hormone treatment. This article reviews the biology of the ER, the proposed mechanisms of endocrine resistance, and ongoing clinical trials with STIs in combination with hormonal manipulation as a means to overcome endocrine resistance.

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Title: Overcoming endocrine resistance in breast cancer—are signal transduction inhibitors the answer?
Authors: Philippe L. Bedard
Orit C. Freedman
Anthony Howell
Mark Clemons
Publication date: 01-04-2008
Publisher: Springer US
Published in: Breast Cancer Research and Treatment / Issue 3/2008
Print ISSN: 0167-6806
Electronic ISSN: 1573-7217
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10549-007-9606-8

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