Estrogens have been implicated to play a role in the development of breast cancer. The purpose of this book is to provide a comprehensive analysis of experimental, clinical and epidemiological evidence in support of the carcinogenicity of estrogens.

The discovery of ER by Dr. Elwood Jensen exactly 60 years ago has not only led to the birth of a whole new vital nuclear receptor research field but also made a rapid, direct and lasting impact on the treatment and prevention of breast cancer. Since that landmark discovery, tremendous progress has been made in our understanding of the molecular functions of ER and development of targeted therapies against ER pathways for breast cancer treatment. However, there is currently no book available addressing these discoveries and recent advancement in a historical and systematic fashion. This book is intended to provide comprehensive, most up-to-date information on the history and recent advancement of ER and breast cancer by world renowned leaders in the field. These chapters include the history of the discovery of ER; physiological and pathological roles of ER; recent discovery of ER cistrome, transcriptome and its regulation of noncoding RNAs such as microRNAs and enhancer RNAs in breast cancer; development and clinical practices of the first targeted therapy Tamoxifen and other antiestrogens for breast cancer treatment; structural basis of ER and antiestrogen actions; molecular insights into endocrine resistance; the role of ER mutants, ER-beta and environmental estrogens in breast cancer; and emerging state-of-the-art therapeutic approaches currently in development to overcome treatment resistance and future perspectives. The book will provide undergraduate and graduate students, basic scientists and clinical cancer researchers, residents, fellows, as well as clinicians, oncology educators and the general public a thorough and authoritative review of these exciting topics.

This volume presents the evolution of the authors' ideas about estrogen action and its modulation by a new group of drugs called SERMs (Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators). The pioneering SERMs OCo tamoxifen and raloxifene OCo are known to have saved the lives of millions of women around the world and improved the health of millions more. Estrogen is the central hormone of women's health and reproduction. The book is a journey through 40 years of discovery and success in advancing women's health, with the prospect of improved innovation through medicinal chemistry for the future.

Experimental and clinical researchers from a wide range of disciplines present a wealth of fresh scientific information on the biochemistry, molecular biology, pharmacology, and clinical activity of SERMs. The basic science chapters of the book focus-with an eye to the development of the ideal SERM-on the complex mechanisms of estrogen action, including ligand-dependent conformational changes in alpha and beta, and the recruitment of co-activators and co-repressors which modulate the estrogen receptor transcriptional activity and contribute to its crosstalk with growth factor signaling. The clinical presentation reviews the data accumulated on currently available SERMs, primarily tamoxifen and raloxifene, in cancer treatment and prevention, as well as their effects on the reproductive, vascular, skeletal, and central nervous systems. A tentative approach to menopause-related health issues is also provided for women with and without a previous diagnosis of localized breast cancer.

The increasing awareness on the varied consequences of hypogonadism in distinct organs and systems has supported the notion of estrogens as systemic agents. This observation is congruent with the variety of tissues affected by - trogens when used in hormone therapy formulations on hypogonadic women. Apart from the genital tract and the breast, recognized as traditional targets for estrogens, the skeleton, the vascular tree, or the central nervous system, are good examples of territories that have demonstrated sensitivity to estrogens. This evidence has created great interest, as shown by the great amount of lit- ature that has been produced on the bene?ts and risks associated with the use of estrogens. In parallel to the clinical interest, basic research has improved our kno- edge on the complexities involved in estrogen action at the molecular level. Together with effects mediated through speci?c receptors, a concept that has been the mainstay of the interpretation of estrogen action for years, there is enough evidence to hold the notion of receptor-independent effects. The substantial advances in modern technology applied to research have helped in enlightening the particulars of this versatile action of estrogens. This more detailed knowledge on the sophisticated mechanism of action of estrogens has nourished the emergence of multiple hypotheses speculating with the p- sibility of manipulating estrogen action. The notion that a widely extended regulatory system of cell function, as it is the estrogen receptor machinery, might be modulated at wish has arisen as an attractive, although still elusive postulate.

This volume provides a comprehensive review of established and novel biomarkers across the continuum of breast cancer. The volume covers topics related to breast cancer risk and prevention, prediction of response to today’s standard therapies, and markers capable of influencing treatment decisions in the near future. Chapter authors combine their wide-ranging expertise to review the current status of the biomarker and to offer their individual perspectives on how biomarkers may be used in future treatments and research. Breast cancer continues to be the most common malignancy diagnosed in women in the Western world. While there are multiple treatment approaches for breast cancer, today more than ever we recognize that each tumor is unique. The challenge ahead is to consider how to best use validated and novel biomarkers to select the most appropriate treatment(s) for individual patients.

The information surveyed in this volulme is designed to provide the clinician with an expert overview of the current state of the art in breast cancer management. It should provide at least a flavor of the major paradigm shift that is occurring in this rapidly evolving field. Breast cancer management is moving away from a "kill or cure" model and advancing toward a model focused on strategies of prevention and of long-term management of breast cancer as a chronic disease. The acceptance of this new paradigm by patients and clinicians alike will represent a major focus for the twenty-first century.

A comprehensive review of the literature on steroid hormone receptor immuncytochemistry. It includes the development of the first monoclonal antireceptor antibody and initial procedures designed to localize steroid receptors in situ up to the present. The step-by-step instructions provide easy reading of topics such as tissue handling, processing, and interpretation. This text places particular emphasis on the studies of human material-especially mammary carcinoma. It presents specific details with chapters on estrogen and progesterone receptors in breast malignancies and benign breast disease. Each section of this outstanding book contains comprehensive photomicrographs that illustrate the most salient features discussed. Detailed graphs pertaining to theoretical particulars concerning technology and the relationship between image analysis and endocrine response are also included. This monograph is an excellent resource for all researchers concerned with hormone-dependent tissues, pathologists who have an interest in working with novel techniques for localizing steroid hormone receptors, and oncologists who must use assay results in the treatment of breast cancer.

Estrogen Receptors—Advances in Research and Application: 2013 Edition is a ScholarlyBrief™ that delivers timely, authoritative, comprehensive, and specialized information about Estrogen Receptor alpha in a concise format. The editors have built Estrogen Receptors—Advances in Research and Application: 2013 Edition on the vast information databases of ScholarlyNews.™ You can expect the information about Estrogen Receptor alpha in this book to be deeper than what you can access anywhere else, as well as consistently reliable, authoritative, informed, and relevant. The content of Estrogen Receptors—Advances in Research and Application: 2013 Edition has been produced by the world’s leading scientists, engineers, analysts, research institutions, and companies. All of the content is from peer-reviewed sources, and all of it is written, assembled, and edited by the editors at ScholarlyEditions™ and available exclusively from us. You now have a source you can cite with authority, confidence, and credibility. More information is available at http://www.ScholarlyEditions.com/.