Dr. Page on Hormone-Directed Strategies in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

David B. Page, MD, medical oncologist, Providence Cancer Center, discusses hormone-directed strategies in the treatment of patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).

It is not well known whether hormone-directed strategies could be a relevant strategy in treating patients with TNBC, says Page. There are some data that suggest that in about half of patients with TNBC, the expression of androgen receptor is upregulated and could be relevant in the signaling process. Early data have shown that physicians can block androgens.

Page states that there is provocative evidence that physicians can stimulate immune responses and generate new T cells because the thymus, an organ that sits within the chest, is dependent on androgen signaling. If physicians can block that signaling, they may be able to stimulate the production of new T cells, says Page. This is currently being investigated in ongoing clinical trials.