Importance of breast cancer subtype in the development of androgen-receptor-directed therapy

The androgen receptor (AR) has re-emerged as a potential therapeutic target for breast cancer treatment. This stems from recent progress made in preclinical models, which have recognized important differences in the effect of AR expression on outcomes for patients with different breast cancer subtypes. In parallel, the clinical development of new generations of androgen-receptor- directed therapy for prostate cancer has begun to mature. The availability of these new agents has resulted in trials of their potential for treating breast cancer. It is critical that studies of the effect of AR expression and signaling in breast cancer should be context and subtype specific, to successfully translate AR modulation into a clinical strategy for breast cancer. We will review developments in preclinical studies, and recent clinical trials targeting AR in breast cancer.