The McLean Laboratory is investigating the role of estrogen hormone signaling in ovarian cancers, so we can develop combination therapies with antiestrogen therapy that have a low side-effect profile.
Anti-estrogen therapy (AET) is often used for estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer, yet despite 80% of ovarian cancers expressing ER, response rates are only 20%. Interestingly, we have shown that in some women with ER-negative tumors, antiestrogen therapy can be effective.
We seek to understand these contradictions between ER expression status and response rates, so we can make AET more effective in ovarian cancer. We hypothesize that tumor microenvironment signals modulate responses to antiestrogen therapy, and targeting the tumor microenvironment pathways can improve treatment responses.
Read the research
- Tan L, et al. Inhibition of Tumor Microenvironment Cytokine Signaling Sensitizes Ovarian Cancer Cells to Antiestrogen Therapy. Cancers (Basel). 2022 Sep 26;14(19):4675. doi: 10.3390/cancers14194675.
- Bell SG, et al. Aromatase inhibitor use, side effects and discontinuation rates in gynecologic oncology patients. Gynecol Oncol. 2020 Nov;159(2):509-514. doi: 10.1016/j.ygyno.2020.08.015. Epub 2020 Aug 23.
- Andersen CL, et al. Active Estrogen Receptor-alpha Signaling in Ovarian Cancer Models and Clinical Specimens. Clin Cancer Res. 2017 Jul 15;23(14):3802-3812. doi: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-16-1501. Epub 2017 Jan 10.
Contact the McLean Laboratory
Department of Gynecology
Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
Elm and Carlton Streets
Buffalo, NY 14263