Dr. Dixon on Systems Biology for Combination Therapy

J. Michael Dixon, MBChB, MD, Professor of Surgery and Consultant Surgeon of the University of Edinburgh; and Clinical Director of the Edinburgh Breast Unit at the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh, Scotland, provides insight into exploiting systems biology to create new single agent therapy combinations for endocrine resistant breast cancer.

There are multiple pathways that are active in endocrine resistance therapy; these pathways are variable based upon whether the tumor forms resistance early or late in the cycle.

Dixon explains that combining one single agent with letrozole (Femara) will not create a drastic enough effect, or could result in undue toxicity. By examining the individual systems biology of the tumor it may be necessary to combine 2-3 different agents to letrozole.