
“I was keen to go on a clinical trial. I wanted to try new cancer treatments and hopefully help future generations.”
Please note - this trial is no longer recruiting patients. We hope to add results when they are available.
This study is looking at proteins called oestrogen receptors in breast cancer, in women taking aromatase inhibitors. This study is supported by Cancer Research UK.
Hormones are chemical messengers that control the growth and activity of normal cells. The female sex hormone oestrogen can stimulate some breast cancers to grow. It does this by joining (binding) to . These oestrogen receptors then bind to the DNA of the cell.
Doctors treat breast cancers that have these receptors (ER positive breast cancers) with hormone therapy (also called endocrine therapy). This stops oestrogen stimulating the breast cancer cells to divide and grow. But sadly it does not help everyone.
In this study, researchers want to find out why. They will look at samples from women who are having a type of hormone therapy called an aromatase inhibitor before and after they have started treatment. They hope to better understand how these drugs work, and why they work better for some women than others. They also hope their work will lead to new drugs being developed for breast cancer.
You will not have any direct benefit from taking part in this study, and it is unlikely to change your treatment plan in any way. But the results of the study will be used to help women with breast cancer in the future.
This study is recruiting women who are being cared for by doctors at Imperial College NHS Healthcare Trust. If you are suitable for this study, one of the study team will ask if you would like to take part. Women taking part in this study will
You cannot enter this study if you
This study will recruit 84 women. Everyone taking part will have a course of tablets. The type of aromatase inhibitor you take will depend on what your cancer specialist recommends.
12 weeks after starting hormone therapy, you have a series of tests, which include
If you did not have a biopsy taken for research when you had your original biopsy, the team will ask if you would be willing to have another one taken for the study. The team will also measure your cancer and take blood samples when you come to the hospital for routine check ups during and after your treatment.
If you have surgery, or need to have any fluid removed from your tummy area (abdomen) or lungs, the team will ask if they can also study samples from these procedures.
You will have an extra hospital visit for the study
Side effects of biopsies and blood tests may include
You can find out more about aromatase inhibitors such as exemestane, letrozole and anastrozole in our cancer drugs section.
Please note: In order to join a trial you will need to discuss it with your doctor, unless otherwise specified.
Dr Carlo Palmieri
Cancer Research UK
Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre (ECMC)
Imperial College London
NIHR Clinical Research Network: Cancer
Freephone 0808 800 4040
“I was keen to go on a clinical trial. I wanted to try new cancer treatments and hopefully help future generations.”