Endocrine Resistance Mechanisms in Breast Cancer
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Molecular studies of the genotypic and phenotypic changes associated with response and resistance to aromatase inhibitor therapy in oestrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer aromatase inhibitor - a type of therapy used for certain subtypes of breast cancer ER - oestrogen receptor. This is a hormone receptor that is expressed in some subtypes of breast cancer
IRAS ID
262179
Contact name
Mitch Dowsett
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 1 months, 1 days
Research summary
Aromatase inhibitors, a type of hormone therapy, are used to treat breast cancer in women who have been through the menopause (postmenopausal). This treatment is effective in breast cancers that are stimulated to grow by the hormone oestrogen (so-called oestrogen receptor positive or ER+ breast cancer) because it blocks the production of oestrogen in the body. Unfortunately, aromatase inhibitor treatment can stop working in some patients due to genetic changes in some of the breast cancer cells. As a consequence, the cancer becomes resistant to aromatase inhibitor treatment and can start growing back.
There is an urgent need to understand the genetic changes in breast cancer cells that no longer respond to aromatase inhibitor treatment as this will help clinicians to predict which patients are at risk of developing resistance and tailor their treatments accordingly.
In this study paired tissue samples from breast cancer taken before and after aromatase inhibitor treatment will be used. The samples are excess to clinical requirement and will be anonymised. DNA and RNA will be extracted from the paired samples to (a) examine the genetic and gene expression changes that occur on exposure to aromatase inhibitors and (b) determine the association of these changes with the clinical outcomes of the patient (such as whether their breast cancer starts growing again, what other treatments the patient is given and their survival).
REC name
London - Brighton & Sussex Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
20/LO/0269
Date of REC Opinion
5 Mar 2020
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion