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The Role of Hormonal Therapy in the Management of Hormone Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer: Current Trends and Future Directions

Document Type : Review Article

Author

Department of biology, Faculty of science, Mashhad branch, Islamic Azad University, Mashhad, Iran

10.22034/pmj.2025.2050921.1052
Abstract
Breast cancer is responsible for more than 2.3 million newly diagnosed cases each year, according to the statistics. A hormonal imbalance, which is defined by unregulated activity of estrogen and progesterone, is often the cause of this type of cancer. It has become easier to handle patients who have HR+ breast cancer, particularly in women who have both advanced and early-stage disease, as a result of the deployment of estrogen-blocking hormone treatment. The permissiveness of tamoxifen, which was the first selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) to be commercialized, made it possible for more hormonal therapies to be developed. The cornerstone of breast cancer treatment is comprised of aromatase inhibitors (AIs), selective estrogen receptor degraders (SERDs), and cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors (CDK) 4/6. These three types of drugs ultimately lead to improved patient outcomes. On the other hand, the inherent or acquired resistance of cancers to hormone therapy continues to be a serious cause for concern. Alterations in the genetic makeup of the tumor, as well as the activation of alternate pathways, make this situation even worse. The increasing development of molecular biology, precision medicine, and targeted therapies, on the other hand, is pointing to a new strategy for dealing with these problems. The purpose of this study is to investigate prospective treatment options and to shed light on the significant role that hormone therapy plays in the management of HR-positive breast cancer.

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Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 16 May 2026

  • Receive Date 17 January 2025
  • Accept Date 09 February 2025