Defining the Role of Androgen Receptor in Endocrine-Resistant Breast Cancer

Defining the Role of Androgen Receptor in Endocrine-Resistant Breast Cancer DEFINING THE ROLE OF ANDROGEN RECEPTOR IN ENDOCRINE-RESISTANT BREAST CANCER Breast cancer continues to burden the health of women with almost 40,000 estimated to die in 2012. Targeting receptors such as estrogen receptor (ER) and human epidermal growth factor 2 (HER2) has significantly improved patient survival. However, 30-40% of patients who initially respond to endocrine therapy will have a recurrence of the disease and a median survival of only 24-30 months. To properly stratify and treat these patients, we require reliable biomarkers that discriminate between hormone responsive and unresponsive patients. An emerging biomarker that associates with endocrine resistance in breast cancer is the androgen receptor (AR).