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Encyclopedia of Cancer pp 1–5Cite as

Fulvestrant

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Synonyms

Faslodex

Definition

Fulvestrant was originally known as ICI 182,780 and is now marketed by AstraZeneca under the trade name Faslodex®. The chemical formula of fulvestrant is 7α-[9-(4,4,5,5,5-pentafluoro-pentylsulfinyl)nonyl]estra-1,3,5(10)-triene-3,17β-diol.

Fulvestrant, a steroidal 7α-alkylsulfinyl analog of 17β-estradiol, is an estrogen receptor antagonist with no agonist effects. It is used as an endocrine treatment for postmenopausal women with hormone-sensitive advanced breast cancer.

Characteristics

Mode of Action

Currently, more than one million women worldwide are diagnosed with breast cancer each year. In postmenopausal women, approximately 75 % of breast tumors are hormone sensitive, expressing the estrogen receptor and/or progesterone receptor, and are stimulated to grow in the presence of estrogen. To understand the treatments for hormone receptor-positive breast cancer, we must first understand the role of estrogen, a natural circulating hormone that has been...

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References

  • Chia S, Gradishar W, Mavriac L et al (2008) Double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of fulvestrant compared with exemestane after prior nonsteroidal aromatase inhibitor therapy in postmenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive, advanced breast cancer: results from EFECT. J Clin Oncol. Published online a head of print 3 Mar 2008 at http://jco.ascopubs.orglcgi/doi/10.1200/jco.2007.13.5822

  • Dowsett M, Nicholson RI, Pietras RJ (2005) Biological characteristics of the pure antiestrogen fulvestrant: overcoming endocrine resistance. Breast Cancer Res Treat 93(Suppl 1):S11–S18

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  • Howell A (2005) Fulvestrant (‘Faslodex’): current and future role in breast cancer management. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol 57:265–273

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  • Robertson JF, Osborne CK, Howell A et al (2003) Fulvestrant versus anastrozole for the treatment of advanced breast carcinoma in postmenopausal women – a prospective combined analysis of two multicenter trials. Cancer 98:229–238

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  • Vergote I, Abram P (2006) Fulvestrant, a new treatment option for advanced breast cancer: tolerability versus existing agents. Ann Oncol 17:200–204

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See Also

  • (2012) Advanced Breast Cancer. In: Schwab M (ed) Encyclopedia of Cancer, 3rd edn. Springer Berlin Heidelberg, p 100. doi: 10.1007/978-3-642-16483-5_128

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  • (2012) Antiestrogens. In: Schwab M (ed) Encyclopedia of Cancer, 3rd edn. Springer Berlin Heidelberg, p 209. doi: 10.1007/978-3-642-16483-5_318

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  • (2012) EGF. In: Schwab M (ed) Encyclopedia of Cancer, 3rd edn. Springer Berlin Heidelberg, p 1211. doi: 10.1007/978-3-642-16483-5_1824

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  • (2012) Estrogens. In: Schwab M (ed) Encyclopedia of Cancer, 3rd edn. Springer Berlin Heidelberg, p 1333. doi: 10.1007/978-3-642-16483-5_2019

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. CRUK Department of Medical Oncology, University of Manchester, Christie Hospital NHS Trust, Manchester, UK

    Anthony Howell

Authors
  1. Anthony Howell
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Anthony Howell .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Abt. Tumorgenetik, Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, Heidelberg, Germany

    Manfred Schwab

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Howell, A. (2015). Fulvestrant. In: Schwab, M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Cancer. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27841-9_2276-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27841-9_2276-2

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-27841-9

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Biomedicine and Life SciencesReference Module Biomedical and Life Sciences

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