Mechanisms associated with resistance to tamoxifen in estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer (review)

Oncol Rep. 2014 Jul;32(1):3-15. doi: 10.3892/or.2014.3190. Epub 2014 May 16.

Abstract

Anti-estrogens such as tamoxifen are widely used in the clinic to treat estrogen receptor-positive breast tumors. Patients with estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer initially respond to treatment with anti-hormonal agents such as tamoxifen, but remissions are often followed by the acquisition of resistance and, ultimately, disease relapse. The development of a rationale for the effective treatment of tamoxifen-resistant breast cancer requires an understanding of the complex signal transduction mechanisms. In the present study, we explored some mechanisms associated with resistance to tamoxifen, such as pharmacologic mechanisms, loss or modification in estrogen receptor expression, alterations in co-regulatory proteins and the regulation of the different signaling pathways that participate in different cellular processes such as survival, proliferation, stress, cell cycle, inhibition of apoptosis regulated by the Bcl-2 family, autophagy, altered expression of microRNA, and signaling pathways that regulate the epithelial-mesenchymal transition in the tumor microenvironment. Delineation of the molecular mechanisms underlying the development of resistance may aid in the development of treatment strategies to enhance response and compromise resistance.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Breast Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Breast Neoplasms / pathology
  • Drug Resistance, Neoplasm*
  • Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition / drug effects
  • Estrogen Antagonists / pharmacology
  • Estrogen Antagonists / therapeutic use*
  • Female
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / drug effects
  • Humans
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects
  • Tamoxifen / pharmacology
  • Tamoxifen / therapeutic use*

Substances

  • Estrogen Antagonists
  • Tamoxifen