Androgen receptors
 

Hello ladies

I've recently joined the HER2+ Support Group. Thank you to everyone involved in setting it up and to members.

Just wondering whether the docs will consider androgen receptors going forwards.

http://scienceblog.cancerresearchuk....one-receptors/

If so, does anyone know if the scientists have started thinking about if/how this could affect HER2+ breast cancer?

Interested to know your thoughts.

Best wishes

Catkins

Re: Androgen receptors
 

Below is the abstract of a research article on this very subject:

Am Surg. 2012 Sep;78(9):992-9.
Does androgen receptor have a prognostic role in patients with estrogen/progesterone-negative and c-erbB-2-positive breast cancer?

Arslan C, Isik M, Guler G, Kulac I, Solak M, Turker B, Ozisik Y, Altundag K.
Source

Department of Medical Oncology, Izmir Tepecik Research and Training Hospital, Izmir, Turkey. arslancagatay@yahoo.com

Abstract

Recently, it has been shown that androgen and androgen receptor (AR) also have an important role in the pathogenesis and outcome of breast cancer. However, their significance in different subtypes of breast cancer is still under investigation. The aim of this study was to study the effects of AR on clinicopathological features and prognosis in patients with estrogen and progesterone receptor (ER/PR)-negative, HER2-positive breast cancer. Tumor paraffin-embedded blocks from archives were used for AR study. Data of patients with ER/PR-negative and HER2-positive breastcancer diagnosed at our institute between 1999 and 2010 were recorded and analyzed retrospectively. We studied 36 patients with ER/PR-negative and HER2-positive breast cancer for AR status. Sixteen of them (44.4%) showed AR positivity. The median age was 47 and 56 years for AR-negative and -positive patients, respectively (P = 0.03). The number of postmenopausal patients was higher in the AR-positive than -negative group (56 vs 30%) (P = 0.01). Other demographic data were similar in both group. Histopathological parameters and tumor and nodal stages were similar in both groups. Trastuzumab treatment was more frequently given to AR-positive than -negative patients (94 vs 44%) (P = 0.01). Median follow-up was 47.1 and 34.7 months in AR-negative and -positive groups, respectively (P = 0.03). Relapse occurred in six and four patients in AR-negative and -positive groups. Median progression-free survival (PFS) was similar in both groups (15.7 and 19.6 months in AR-negative and -positive patients, respectively; P = 0.56). Two patients died at 23.4 and 46 months of follow-up in the AR-negative group. There were no deaths in the AR-positive group. Overall survival analyses were not done as a result of an unmet number of events. Median PFS was similar in AR-positive and -negative in that group of patients with ER/PR-negative and HER2-positive breast cancer. However AR-positive patients were more frequently postmenopausal, older, and positive for lymphovascular space invasion. More frequently applied trastuzumab in the AR-positive group might have an effect on the similarity of PFS between the two groups. Studies with higher numbers in this subset of patients with breast cancer will give more robust data.

Re: Androgen receptors
 

there are currently have a phase 1/2 with adrog inhib. you need to have to be RA+ so in answer to your questions yes they are looking at it. resuly do not seem as good. See my recent post below

Re: Androgen receptors
 

Hi Jackie and Full of Beans

Jackie, thank you so much for taking the trouble to post details of the study.

Very interesting! I am always trying to understand as much as I can about HER2+ and anything that can have an effect on it. I really like this board and the way people discuss research studies in a balanced way.

Couldn't see your post underneath Full of Beans but would be very interested to read it.

Best wishes

Catkins

Re: Androgen receptors
 

I have been interested in learning more about Androgen receptors since reading patients with Pagets where 88% positive in a small Italian study.

I haven't learned much and my doctors declined to test for that since it was not Standard of Care.

I would be interested in seeing FOB's link too.

Paget-like and androgen receptor studies
 

Hi Lizbeth

Good to meet you and thanks for responding.

Interesting re Pagets...

My pathology was described as having Paget-like features but not actually being Pagets...

Here are some research studies that somebody found for me on another website about androgen receptors:

liulab.dfci.harvard.edu/public...
www.news-medical.net/news/2012...
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21...
pharmastrategyblog.com/2012/02...
breast-cancer-research.com/con...

I was not keen to take Arimidex going forwards as I am only weakly PR positive but having second thoughts...

Hope this is of interest to you.

Best wishes and thanks again

Alice

Re: Androgen receptors
 

Alice,

Thanks for the links - they look interesting and lengthy. On my way to class and will read them soon. I'm sure it will answer some of my questions.

Warm regards,

'lizbeth

Re: Androgen receptors
 

http://www.asco.org/ASCOv2/Meetings/...ew&confID=102&
abstractID=79667

not so great butr could be worse..

Re: Androgen receptors
 

Hello Full of Beans

When you have a moment, would it be possible to post an abstract in full re http://www.asco.org/ASCOv2/Meetings/...ew&confID=102&
abstractID=79667 as I clicked on the link but it didn't work for me.

Thank you

Catkins