Invention:
This technology is a set of biomarkers to stratify estrogen receptor positive breast cancer patients to see if they should receive anti-estrogen therapy or not.
Background:
Breast cancer, the second most common cancer among American women, will effect of 330,000 new patients this year. The most commonly diagnosed breast tumors are estrogen receptor positive tumors and these tumors cause the greatest number of deaths among breast cancer patients. Although it has been long been known that estrogen promotes the growth of estrogen receptor positive breast tumors, studies have shown that estrogen may also play a protective role against cancer cell invasion and metastasis. There are currently a number of immunohistochemistry assays that can be used to determine estrogen receptor status to determine patient suitability for anti-estrogenic hormonal therapy. However, the inventors at University of Arizona found that not all estrogen receptor positive breast cancer patients would benefit from anti-estrogenic hormonal therapy.
Applications:
- Diagnostic to stratify estrogen receptor positive breast cancer patients
Advantages:
- Associated with the suppressive role of estrogen in cancer cell invasion
- May allow for the identification of estrogen receptor positive breast cancer patients who may not benefit from anti-estrogenic hormonal therapy
Publication: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-018-05367-2
