People with estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) MBC are generally treated with hormone therapy. Hormone therapy prevents the body from making estrogen or blocks the ability of cancer cells to respond to estrogen.
Several types of hormone therapy are approved for MBC, and others are being tested in clinical trials. Resistance to hormone therapy, which is when the therapy stops working, is common. Clinical trials are also testing combinations of hormone therapy drugs and other types of drugs such as CDK4/6 inhibitors and PI3K inhibitors. These new drugs and drug combinations are being tested to address resistance.
One type of hormone therapy is called selective estrogen receptor degraders (SERDs). Importantly, new SERDs that are taken by mouth (called oral SERDs) are being tested. Oral SERDs can be taken at home and do not require a doctor’s visit to receive an injection, which helps improve quality of life. Other types of hormone therapy are also being studied in trials. Read below to find out more about oral SERDs and other types of hormone therapy, as well as find trials studying experimental hormone therapy drugs.
Oral SERDs
- GoodRX: Several oral SERDs are being developed for MBC (Note that since this article was published, elacestrant (Orserdu®) was approved by the FDA in January 2023 for ER+ MBC with a mutation in a gene called ESR1)
- Susan G. Komen (article and video): Elacestrant (Orserdu®) taken by mouth is effective and provides a good quality of life for people with MBC
Other Types of Hormone Therapy
- American Association for Cancer Research (AACR): In addition to oral SERDs, several other types of hormone therapy and combinations with targeted therapy are being tested in clinical trials (As noted above, elacestrant (Orserdu®) is now FDA approved)
- Sean Bohen, MD, PhD (video): OP-1250, also called palazestrant, is a type of hormone therapy called a CERAN
- Erika Hamilton, MD (video): RV-471 is a type of hormone therapy called a PROTAC and has shown promising results in a clinical trial
- Erika Hamilton, MD (video): SERCAs are another type of hormone therapy being studied in clinical trials
MBC Clinical Trials
- Metastatic Trial Search: Trials for Hormone Therapy
Last Modified on June 3, 2024