[Breast cancer--topics from basic research].
The measurement of estrogen and progesterone receptors in human breast cancer provides useful markers for predicting response to endocrine therapy. In human breast cancer, about 90% of unresponsive tumors and 60-80% of tumors responsive to endocrine therapy can be predicted by receptor measurement. Hormone-dependency of breast cancer easily disappears, and endocrine therapy for hormone-dependent cancer markedly encourages disappearance. Since very useful non-steroidal antiestrogens have been synthesized recently, the usefulness of drug-based endocrine therapy for breast cancer has become more important compared with brought about by surgical therapy. To improve the effectiveness of endocrine therapy for hormone-dependent cancer, the proliferation of hormone-independent cancer cells developing from hormone-dependent cancer cells during endocrine therapy should be inhibited. For inhibition, chemotherapy combined with the endocrine therapy and adjuvant endocrine therapy seem to be useful methods for the future.
D000818:Animals; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000032:analysis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D008558:Melphalan / Q000008:administration & dosage; D051379:Mice; D009376:Neoplasms, Hormone-Dependent / Q000032:analysis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D051381:Rats; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000032:analysis*; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000032:analysis*; D013629:Tamoxifen / Q000008:administration & dosage
D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone; D013629:Tamoxifen; D008558:Melphalan; D005472:Fluorouracil