New Study Shows Breast Tumors Evolve in Response to Hormone Therapy (IMAGE)
Caption
Many breast tumors grow in response to female hormones, especially estrogen. Drugs that reduce estrogen levels in the body often are effective in reducing tumor size and preventing recurrence of the cancer. But some tumors become resistant to these therapies and continue to grow and spread. The scans show an estrogen-receptor-positive breast tumor before (left) and after four months of aromatase inhibitor therapy. This tumor was sensitive to aromatase inhibitors, shrinking in response to the lower estrogen levels produced by these drugs. A new study demonstrates that the genetics of these tumors can change dramatically in response to estrogen deprivation therapy, suggesting tumors should be analyzed more than once during treatment to assess whether doctors need to change therapeutic strategies. The study, led by researchers at The McDonnell Genome Institute at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and Baylor College of Medicine, appears Aug. 9 in the journal Nature Communications.
Credit
M.J. Ellis
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