Lead researchers
This research study was led by:
Why did we do this research?
The most common breast cancer type is driven by estrogen, a hormone in the body, and successful therapy often blocks the estrogen. Surprisingly, high-dose estrogen therapy can also be effective against previously treated, hormone-receptive metastatic breast cancer. Based on what has been seen in the lab, Drs. Miller and Schwartz wanted to see if alternating high-dose estrogen and blocking estrogen would be beneficial to women with metastatic breast cancer.
What did the research involve?
Drs. Miller and Schwartz enrolled 19 women with metastatic breast cancer who had already received an average of two different treatments. They studied whether alternating high-dose estrogen with blocking estrogen production in the body would slow or stop tumor growth.
What did we learn?
Among the 19 patients in the clinical trial, 16% had their tumors shrink, while 26% had their cancer stabilized for at least 24 weeks. The treatments were well-tolerated, and none of the patients stopped treatment because of side effects.
Why is this important?
Finding the best ways to treat cancer is important. Among the 19 women with advanced cancer in the study, this new treatment was beneficial to almost half of them.
To learn more about this research
For more information about this research, please refer to the following web pages:
- ER Reactivation Therapy for Breast Cancer (POLLY) study detail page on ClinicalTrials.gov
- "A promising new strategy to treat metastatic breast cancer" article
Funding acknowledgement
This research was made possible with funds raised by our community through their participation in The Prouty.
Special thanks
We want to thank our Community Research Ambassadors, Laura and Marcy, for partnering with us to develop the video and content for this page. Thanks, Laura and Marcy!