Anti-Hormonal Therapy in Breast Cancer and Its Effect on the Blood-Brain Barrier

Cancers (Basel). 2022 Oct 19;14(20):5132. doi: 10.3390/cancers14205132.

Abstract

The molecular receptor status of breast cancer has implications for prognosis and long-term metastasis. Although metastatic luminal B-like, hormone-receptor-positive, HER2-negative, breast cancer causes brain metastases less frequently than other subtypes, though tumor metastases in the brain are increasingly being detected of this patient group. Despite the many years of tried and tested use of a wide variety of anti-hormonal therapeutic agents, there is insufficient data on their intracerebral effectiveness and their ability to cross the blood-brain barrier. In this review, we therefore summarize the current state of knowledge on anti-hormonal therapy and its intracerebral impact and effects on the blood-brain barrier in breast cancer.

Keywords: anti-hormonal therapy; blood-brain barrier; brain-metastasis; breast cancer.

Publication types

  • Review

Grants and funding

The study was funded by the scientific funds of the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Hospital Würzburg. This publication was supported by the Open Access Publication Fund of the University of Würzburg.