Female hormones called estrogens drive the growth of more than two thirds of human breast cancers. Approaches to block estrogen action (anti-estrogens), or reduce estrogens (deprivation), are part of strategies to combat this disease and are credited with improvements in patient survival. Unfortunately, there are drawbacks. First, anti-estrogens and estrogen deprivation therapies are associated with side effects, ranging from depression to metabolic disease and, for some anti-estrogens, risk of other cancers. Second, cancers recur in a form that does not respond well to estrogen blockade and these secondary tumors are associated with poor prognosis. New therapies that spare the patient of ha...

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Female hormones called estrogens drive the growth of more than two thirds of human breast cancers. Approaches to block estrogen action (anti-estrogens), or reduce estrogens (deprivation), are part of strategies to combat this disease and are credited with improvements in patient survival. Unfortunately, there are drawbacks. First, anti-estrogens and estrogen deprivation therapies are associated with side effects, ranging from depression to metabolic disease and, for some anti-estrogens, risk of other cancers. Second, cancers recur in a form that does not respond well to estrogen blockade and these secondary tumors are associated with poor prognosis. New therapies that spare the patient of harmful side effects and work in secondary tumors are needed.

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