title: Clinical relevance of estrogen receptor variants in breast cancer.
abstract: It is well accepted that the presence of estrogen receptor (ER) in breast cancer patients correlates with a better prognosis and a higher probability of response to hormonal treatment. Recent data suggest the ER variant isoforms may be common in clinical breast cancer. Furthermore, an association between the expression of such variants and the development of antihormone resistance is discussed. Although several functionally different ER variants have been described, their significance in the prognosis and treatment of breast cancer is still hypothetical.
authors.affiliation: The Department of Internal Medicine I, Division of Oncology, University Hospital Vienna, A-1090 Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wiltschke
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Fuqua