title: Endocrine therapy resistance in breast cancer: current status, possible mechanisms and overcoming strategies.
abstract: Endocrine therapy has become one of most effective forms of targeted adjuvant therapy for hormone-sensitive breast cancer and may be given after surgery or radiotherapy, and also prior, or subsequent to chemotherapy. Current commonly used drugs for adjuvant endocrine therapy can be divided into following three classes: selective estrogen receptor modulators, aromatase inhibitors and selective estrogen receptor downregulators. Tumor cells can develop resistance to endocrine therapy, a major obstacle limiting the success of breast cancer treatment. The complicated crosstalk, both genomic and nongenomic, between estrogen receptors and growth factors was considered to be a crucial factor contributing to endocrine resistance. However, resistance to this therapy is thought to be a progressive, step-wise process, and the underlying mechanism remains unclear. In this review, we summarize the possible biological and molecular mechanisms that underlie endocrine resistance, and discuss some novel strategies to overcoming these issues.
authors: Program of Innovative Cancer Therapeutics, Department of Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University College of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
authors: Weimin
authors: W
authors: Fan
authors: Program of Innovative Cancer Therapeutics, Department of Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University College of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
authors: Jinjia
authors: J
authors: Chang
authors: Centre of Breast Cancer, Department of Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University College of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
authors: Peifeng
authors: P
authors: Fu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D047072:Aromatase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001940:Breast / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy / Q000379:methods; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020845:Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors
chemical_list: D047072:Aromatase Inhibitors; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D020845:Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases
keywords: breast cancer; drug resistance; endrocrine therapeutics; estrogen receptor