Using estrogen to treat breast cancer

In this video, Gary N. Schwartz, MD, and Todd Miller, PhD explain one of several breast cancer clinical trials they are leading at Dartmouth Cancer Center.

Treatment for breast cancer today has changed from 10 and even 5 years ago, thanks to ongoing research. At Dartmouth Cancer Center, there are 35 researchers, scientists and clinicians focused on breast cancer. Cutting-edge advances are leading to new treatment strategies.

As breast medical oncologist and researcher Gary N. Schwartz, MD, relates, being in a clinical trial today, “might well be better than treatment you would get with standard-of-care.” This is true for one patient who realized there was hope when her breast cancer returned.

In a Prouty-funded research project, Dartmouth Cancer Center researchers knowing that the most common breast cancer is driven by estrogen wanted to see if alternating high-dose estrogen and blocking estrogen would be beneficial for those with metastatic breast cancer.