Breast cancer is the most common non-cutaneous cancer among women in the United States. This year about 252,710 women in the U.S. will be told by a doctor that they have breast cancer. Half of these people will be at least 62 years old. However, an estimated 3,327,552 women are living with female breast cancer in the United States following treatment.
Germline (inherited) mutations in either the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene confer an increased risk of breast and/or ovarian cancer to women. In addition, women and men carrying BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations are at increased risk of developing other primary cancers. Genetic testing is available at the MGH genetics lab to detect mutations in members of high-risk families. Such individuals should also be referred for genetic counseling to obtain more information about the implications of inherited BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations. Innovative treatments are available for patients with inherited BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations at the MGH Cancer Center. There is also a large portfolio of clinical trials testing the newest treatments at the MGH Cancer Center.
Despite significant improvements in the treatment of breast tumors, new therapies and treatment strategies are needed to improve outcomes for breast cancer patients. There are a number of novel targeted therapies as well as new immuno-therapies being used that are tailored to individual patient mutations at the MGH Cancer Center.
Source: National Cancer Institute, 2017
Breast cancer is the most common non-cutaneous cancer among women in the United States. This year about 252,710 women in the U.S. will be told by a doctor that they have breast cancer. Half of these people will be at least 62 years old. However, an estimated 3,327,552 women are living with female breast cancer in the United States following treatment.
Germline (inherited) mutations in either the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene confer an increased risk of breast and/or ovarian cancer to women. In addition, women and men carrying BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations are at increased risk of developing other primary cancers. Genetic testing is available at the MGH genetics lab to detect mutations in members of high-risk families. Such individuals should also be referred for genetic counseling to obtain more information about the implications of inherited BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations. Innovative treatments are available for patients with inherited BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations at the MGH Cancer Center. There is also a large portfolio of clinical trials testing the newest treatments at the MGH Cancer Center.
Despite significant improvements in the treatment of breast tumors, new therapies and treatment strategies are needed to improve outcomes for breast cancer patients. There are a number of novel targeted therapies as well as new immuno-therapies being used that are tailored to individual patient mutations at the MGH Cancer Center.
Source: National Cancer Institute, 2017
CLICK IMAGE FOR MORE INFORMATIONThe ESR1 gene encodes an estrogen receptor, which is a ligand-activated transcription factor composed of hormone binding domain, DNA binding domain, and transcription activation domain. The protein localizes to the nucleus, where it forms homodimers, or heterodimerizes with ESR2. Transactivation in the nucleus involves either direct homodimer binding to an estrogen response element (ERE) sequence, or association with other DNA-binding transcription factors such as AP-1/c-Jun, c-Fos, ATF-2, Sp1 and Sp3 to mediate ERE-independent signaling. Mutual trans-repression occurs between the ESR and NF-kapa-B in a cell-type specific manner. Alternative promoter usage and alternative splicing result in dozens of transcript variants, but the full length nature of many of these variants has not been determined. Estrogen and its receptors are essential for sexual development and reproductive function, but also play a role in other tissues such as bone.
Sources: Ref Sequence Mar 2014; NCBI Gene; UniProt;
The ESR1 gene encodes an estrogen receptor, which is a ligand-activated transcription factor composed of hormone binding domain, DNA binding domain, and transcription activation domain. The protein localizes to the nucleus, where it forms homodimers, or heterodimerizes with ESR2. Transactivation in the nucleus involves either direct homodimer binding to an estrogen response element (ERE) sequence, or association with other DNA-binding transcription factors such as AP-1/c-Jun, c-Fos, ATF-2, Sp1 and Sp3 to mediate ERE-independent signaling. Mutual trans-repression occurs between the ESR and NF-kapa-B in a cell-type specific manner. Alternative promoter usage and alternative splicing result in dozens of transcript variants, but the full length nature of many of these variants has not been determined. Estrogen and its receptors are essential for sexual development and reproductive function, but also play a role in other tissues such as bone.
Sources: Ref Sequence Mar 2014; NCBI Gene; UniProt;
PubMed ID's
24217577,
12496244,
24398047,
24583794A specific type of genetic alteration in which instead of one copy of a gene per cell, specific segments of the DNA containing the ESR1 gene are copied multiple times (amplified). The amplified ESR1 gene results in many more RNA transcripts of the gene from the multiple copies of the ESR1 coding DNA, which are then translated into the ER protein at a much higher level than is found in normal cells. This overexpression of amplified proteins has been found in a subset of breast cancers.
A specific type of genetic alteration in which instead of one copy of a gene per cell, specific segments of the DNA containing the ESR1 gene are copied multiple times (amplified). The amplified ESR1 gene results in many more RNA transcripts of the gene from the multiple copies of the ESR1 coding DNA, which are then translated into the ER protein at a much higher level than is found in normal cells. This overexpression of amplified proteins has been found in a subset of breast cancers.