Androgen and breast cancer: an update

Purpose of review The review is targeted at describing the advances in our understanding of androgen actions in the breast over the last 18 months. Androgens are current 'hot topics' in breast cancer because of their potential as therapeutics in situations where we currently do not have good clinical options. This is true for both estrogen receptor alpha (ER alpha) negative and ER alpha positive cancers. Recent findings The review has focused on examining associations between androgen receptor and patient prognosis and outcomes in different breast cancer subtypes. A logical extension of this is covering the timely topic of the use of androgen-directed therapy in these patients. The principle settings in which this is being considered is in ER alpha positive cancer with therapeutic resistance to ER-directed therapies and in ER alpha negative breast cancer that lack current standard targeted therapies. Finally interactions between mutations, and the potential role of androgen in the normal hierarchy of mammary cell differentiation and the relationship of this to cancer, are considered. Summary Androgens are firmly established as important factors across multiple breast cancer subtypes. The future challenge for basic researchers and important development for clinicians is going to be translating this understanding into effective therapeutics for the benefit of breast cancer patients.