Revising the role of the androgen receptor in breast cancer

J Mol Endocrinol. 2014 Jun;52(3):R257-65. doi: 10.1530/JME-14-0030. Epub 2014 Apr 16.

Abstract

Breast cancer (BC) is traditionally viewed as an oestrogen-dependent disease in which the androgen receptor (AR) is inhibitory, counteracting the oncogenic activity of oestrogen receptor α (ERα (ESR1)). Most probably as a result of this crosstalk, the AR has prognostic value in ER-positive disease, with AR positivity reported to correlate with a better prognosis. Activation of the AR pathway has been previously used as a therapeutic strategy to treat BC, but its usage declined following the introduction of the anti-oestrogen tamoxifen. More recently, it has been demonstrated that a subset of triple-negative BCs (molecular apocrine) are dependent upon androgen signalling for growth and therapies that inhibit androgen signalling, currently used for the treatment of prostate cancer, e.g. the antiandrogen bicalutamide and the CYP17 inhibitor abiraterone acetate are undergoing clinical trials to investigate their efficacy in this BC subtype. This review summarises the current knowledge of AR activity in BC.

Keywords: androgen receptors; breast cancer; oestrogen receptor; steroid.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

  • Abiraterone Acetate
  • Androgen Antagonists / therapeutic use*
  • Androgens / metabolism
  • Androstadienes / therapeutic use
  • Anilides / therapeutic use
  • Estrogen Antagonists / pharmacology
  • Estrogen Antagonists / therapeutic use*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Nitriles / therapeutic use
  • Receptors, Androgen / metabolism*
  • Receptors, Estrogen / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Signal Transduction
  • Steroid 17-alpha-Hydroxylase / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Tamoxifen / pharmacology
  • Tamoxifen / therapeutic use
  • Tosyl Compounds / therapeutic use
  • Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms / pathology

Substances

  • Androgen Antagonists
  • Androgens
  • Androstadienes
  • Anilides
  • Estrogen Antagonists
  • Nitriles
  • Receptors, Androgen
  • Receptors, Estrogen
  • Tosyl Compounds
  • Tamoxifen
  • bicalutamide
  • Steroid 17-alpha-Hydroxylase
  • Abiraterone Acetate