Abstract
Resistance to chemotherapy treatment, which may lead to limited efficacy of systemic therapy in breast cancer patients, is multifactorial. Among the mechanisms of resistance to chemotherapy treatment, there are those closely related to estrogen receptor α, P-glycoprotein, multidrug resistance-related protein, glutathione S-transferase pi and topoisomerase-II. ERα is ligand-activated transcription factor that regulates gene expression and plays a critical role in endocrine signaling. In previous preclinical and clinical studies, positive ERα expression in breast cancer cells was correlated with decreased sensitivity to chemotherapy. This article reviews current knowledge on the predictive value of ERα with regard to response to chemotherapy. Better understanding of its role may facilitate patient selection of therapeutic regimens and lead to optimal clinical outcomes.
Highlights
The estrogen receptor α (ERα) plays an important role in the progression of breast cancer
Resistance to chemotherapy treatment, which may lead to limited efficacy of systemic therapy in breast cancer patients, is multifactorial
These findings indicate that ERα status may play an important role in determining the sensitivity of breast tumors to chemotherapy
Summary
The estrogen receptor α (ERα) plays an important role in the progression of breast cancer. It has been observed that some chemotherapeutic agents may be less effective in patients with ERα+ tumors than those with ERα- tumors (Precht et al, 2010; Bailey et al, 2012; Lips et al, 2012). These findings indicate that ERα status may play an important role in determining the sensitivity of breast tumors to chemotherapy. Drug resistance is one of the major obstacles limiting the success of breast cancer chemotherapy. ERα status, lesser known, have been studied in connection with MDR
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