mTOR inhibitors: changing landscape of endocrine-resistant breast cancer

作者：Chumsri Saranya^*; Sabnis Gauri; Tkaczuk Katherine; Brodie Angela

来源：Future Oncology, 2014, 10(3): 443-456.

DOI：10.2217/FON.13.178

• aromatase inhibitor
• breast cancer
• endocrine resistance
• hormone receptor
• mTOR inhibitor

Most breast cancer (BC) patients have tumors that express hormone receptors (HRs). Although endocrine therapy, such as aromatase inhibitors, is very effective, most patients with metastatic HR-positive (HR+) BC become resistant to endocrine therapy at some point in their treatment and subsequently require chemotherapy. The PI3K/mTOR pathway is often upregulated in endocrine-resistant BC patients and, therefore, has been one of the targets for development of new agents. Recently, a Phase III trial (BOLERO-2) in aromatase inhibitor-resistant BC patients showed a significant improvement in time to progression with the combination of everolimus and exemestane compared with exemestane alone, confirming the importance of the PI3K/mTOR pathway in endocrine-resistant BC. Side effects from mTOR inhibitors are manageable, but early detection and proactive management are required to ensure patients' safety, compliance and continuity of treatment. Thus, mTOR inhibitors offer a new hope and promise for patients with HR+ BC.

• 出版日期2014-2