Breast Cancer Treatments Expanded with New Findings

Researchers have found that targeting new hormone receptors could help improve breast cancer treatments, specifically for breast cancers that are hormone-dependent. 

The new study found that other receptors, such as androgen and vitamin D, can be targeted in breast cancers that are treated with hormone therapy, which could expand treatments. The authors, Sandro Santagata, MD, PhD, at BWH and Tan A. Ince, MD, PhD at the UM Miller School of Medicine, have published their findings in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

The researchers examined 15,000 normal breast cells and found eleven previously undefined cell types, which significantly expanded current knowledge. Typically, when breast cancer tumors are categorized, they are placed in a sub-group that reveals what type of receptor is present or absent on the tumor. The current groupings include Estrogen Receptor (ER positive/negative), Progesterone Receptor (PR positive/negative) and Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 (HER2 positive/negative).

Now that these eleven new cell types have been discovered, the researchers have placed them into new hormonal differentiation groups: HR 0, 1, 2 and 3. These were all categorized by vitamin D, androgen and estrogen hormone receptor expression.

"These findings may change how we treat breast cancer," said Dr. Santagata in this EurekAlert! article. "Since at least 50 percent of patients with breast cancer express all three receptors--estrogen, androgen and vitamin D in their tumor cells, this may allow clinicians to consider triple hormone treatments, which is a new concept, as opposed to treating patients by targeting only estrogen receptors."

The new hormone receptor categories can help redefine the current classifications that are used for categorizing breast cancers. They also give researchers the ability to determine whether different hormone treatments can be implemented on patients who have different types of breast cancers, which could be of immense help for patients who are resistant to anti-estrogen treatments.

To read more about this study and the new findings that may lead to new breast cancer treatment, visit this EurekAlert! article.