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Updated: May 3, 2026

Systems Biology of Metabolic Regulation by Estrogen Receptor Signaling in Breast Cancer
Published on: March 17, 2016
Estrogen receptor (ER) α mutations in breast cancer: hidden in plain sight
Suzanne A W Fuqua1, Guowei Gu, Yassine Rechoum
1Lester and Sue Smith Breast Center, Dan L Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA, sfuqua@bcm.edu.
Abstract:
The idea that somatic ERα mutations could play an important role in the evolution of hormone-dependent breast cancers was proposed some years ago (Fuqua J Mammary Gland Biol Neoplasia 6(4):407-417, 2001; Dasgupta et al. Annu Rev Med 65:279-292, 2013), but has remained controversial until recently. A significant amount of new data has confirmed these initial observations and shown their significance, along with much additional work relevant to the treatment of breast cancer. Thus, it is the purpose of this review to summarize the research to date on the existence and clinical consequences of ERα mutations in primary and metastatic breast cancer.
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