Question

Targeted therapies are used in patients with a certain gene expression pattern. A targeted therapy that prevents the activation of the estrogen receptor in breast cancer would be beneficial to what type of patient?

a) ER-positive breast cancer patient
b) ER-negative breast cancer patient
c) HER2-positive breast cancer patient
d) Triple-negative breast cancer patient

Answer 1

A targeted therapy aimed at inhibiting the estrogen receptor would be most beneficial for ER-positive breast cancer patients who have a high expression of estrogen receptors in their tumors.

Step-by-step explanation:

A targeted therapy that prevents the activation of the estrogen receptor (ER) in breast cancer would be beneficial to patients who have a high expression of this receptor in their tumors, known as ER-positive breast cancer patients. These therapies are designed based on the gene expression patterns within individual tumors and are part of personalized medicine, seeking to treat cancer by targeting specific proteins that are overexpressed or genes that are mutated. For instance, anti-EGF receptor medications are used for breast cancer tumors with high levels of the EGF protein, and drugs like Herceptin (trastuzumab) target HER2 overexpression in other subsets of breast cancer patients. Given this context, the correct answer to the question is (c) patients with lots of the estrogen receptor expressed in their tumor.