Predicting the chance of relapse after tamoxifen treatment in breast cancer

Breast cancer treatment emerged as the model for tailored therapy with the introduction of antihormonal modalities and the measurement of estrogen receptors as a clinically applicable biomarker [1]. In the adjuvant setting tamoxifen treatment is administered to reduce the risk of recurrence and death in estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer [2]. It has been confirmed by multiple clinical trials that ER-negative tumors almost entirely fail to respond to antihormonal agents [3,4]. While in the routine setting expression of ER in cancer cells is used for the indication of patients likely to benefit from endocrine therapies, approximately half of ER-positive patients still fail to respond to hormonal therapy [5]. This significant ratio of nonresponders has prompted numerous studies seeking new and additional biomarkers for ER-positive tumors.

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