Understanding how estrogen therapy works for advanced breast cancer
Official title: A precision medicine basis for estrogen therapy for advanced breast cancer
Funded at Medical College of Wisconsin · NIH-11059927 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking into why some advanced breast cancers that have estrogen receptors respond well to estrogen therapy while others don’t, with the goal of finding better, personalized treatment options for patients based on their specific tumor traits.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Medical College of Wisconsin NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Milwaukee, United States) |
| Project start | October 1, 2023 |
| Project end | March 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $379,345 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA200994-10 |
| Project ID | NIH-11059927 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are patients with advanced breast cancer that is estrogen receptor positive.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with breast cancer that is not estrogen receptor positive may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates why some advanced breast cancers that are positive for estrogen receptors respond well to estrogen therapy while others do not. The project aims to uncover the mechanisms that influence how breast cancer cells react to estrogen, specifically focusing on the hormone 17b-estradiol. By examining the effects of this hormone on cancer cell behavior and the role of specific mutations, the research seeks to develop tailored treatment strategies that could improve patient outcomes. Patients may benefit from a more personalized approach to their estrogen therapy based on their tumor characteristics.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to more effective and personalized estrogen therapies for patients with advanced breast cancer.
How similar studies have gone: Other research has shown promise in understanding the mechanisms of hormone therapy in breast cancer, suggesting that this approach could yield significant insights.
Where this research is happening
-
Medical College of Wisconsin
Milwaukee, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Miller, Todd W. — Medical College of Wisconsin
- Study coordinator: Miller, Todd W.
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
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-
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-
Using a blood test that looks for tumor DNA to monitor early and locally advanced breast cancer
This project uses a sensitive blood test that looks for tiny bits of tumor DNA to track treatment response in people with early or locally advanced breast cancer.
-
Personalizing estrogen therapy for ER-positive breast cancer
This project finds how the hormone estrogen can kill certain ER-positive breast cancers and how to tell which patients will benefit.
-
Longer overnight fasting and exercise to reduce fatigue in women with hormone receptor–positive advanced breast cancer
This project will see if longer overnight fasting and regular exercise help women with hormone receptor–positive advanced breast cancer feel less fatigued and improve their quality of life.
-
FFNP-PET scans to predict hormone therapy response in advanced ER-positive breast cancer
This project uses a special PET scan called FFNP to find which people with ER-positive, HER2-negative advanced breast cancer are likely to benefit from hormone (endocrine) therapies.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.