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Breast Cancer Treatment: To tARget or Not? That Is the Question
Alexandra Stone1,2, Kevin M Lin1,2, Ghanshyam H Ghelani3,4
1Department of Urology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, 750 East Adams Str., Syracuse, NY 13010, USA.
Abstract:
To assess AR's role in TNBC treatment, various existing and completed clinical trials targeting AR or co-targeting AR with other pertinent signaling molecules were analyzed. Cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 (CDK4/6), cytochrome P450 17α-hydroxylase/17,20-lyase (CYP17 lyase), and the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT) signaling pathway were some of the most prevalent biomarkers used in combination therapy with AR inhibitors in these trials. Studying how AR functions in tandem with these molecules can have increasing breakthroughs in the treatment options for TNBC. Previous studies have been largely unsuccessful in utilizing AR as the sole drug target for systemic targeted treatment in TNBC. However, there is a lack of other commonly used drug target biomarkers in the treatment of this disease, as well. Thus, analyzing the clinical benefit rate (CBR) within clinical trials that use combination therapy can prove to be imperative to the progression of improving treatment options and prognoses.
Insights
Androgen receptor (AR) combination therapy shows promise for treating triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Analyzing clinical benefit rates (CBR) is crucial for advancing TNBC treatment options.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) lacks effective targeted therapies.
- Androgen receptor (AR) has shown potential as a therapeutic target in TNBC, but as a sole target, it has had limited success.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the role of AR in TNBC treatment by analyzing clinical trials.
- To investigate the efficacy of combination therapies targeting AR with other signaling molecules.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of existing and completed clinical trials targeting AR or co-targeting AR.
- Identification of prevalent biomarkers used in combination therapy with AR inhibitors, including CDK4/6, CYP17 lyase, and the PI3K/AKT pathway.
Main Results:
- Combination therapies involving AR inhibitors and other biomarkers like CDK4/6, CYP17 lyase, and PI3K/AKT pathway components are frequently explored in TNBC clinical trials.
- Previous attempts to use AR as a single-agent target for systemic therapy in TNBC have been largely unsuccessful.
Conclusions:
- Targeting AR in combination with other signaling molecules represents a promising strategy for improving TNBC treatment.
- Analyzing the clinical benefit rate (CBR) in combination therapy trials is essential for advancing TNBC therapeutic options and patient prognoses.
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