Treating ER+ Breast Cancer Patients With Antiestrogens

Richard Finn, MD, Division of Hematology/Oncology at the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, Los Angeles, discusses the treatment of patients with estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer with antiestrogens.

In his presentation at the12th International Congress on the Future of Breast Cancerfrom July 18-20, 2013, in Huntington Beach, CA, Finn discussed novel therapies for virulent ER+ disease.

It is the general understanding that ER+ breast cancer behaves well, Finn says. ER+ disease has more treatment options compared to other types of breast cancer because it is dependent on estrogen receptor signaling, which can be modulated in several different ways.

In clinical practice, a physician can get a sense of how a patient will do based on their response to antiestrogens. There is a group of patients with ER+ disease that do not do well, Finn says, and will have a rapid progressive course and no disease control.

Clinical Pearls

The challenge remains to incorporate what is known about the molecular makeup of this population into clinical utility.

• ER+ breast cancer typically behaves well and has several treatment options
• Some patients with ER+ disease do not do well when treated with antiestrogens
• The challenge remains to incorporate what is known about the molecular makeup of this group into clinical utility