Preventing breast cancer by harnessing the selective inhibitory power of a novel androgenic agent, enobosarm

The best way of beating breast cancer is to prevent it from developing in the first place. For women at high risk of developing breast cancer, such as those with a family history of the disease or those who have previously had breast cancer, options to prevent breast cancer are limited to either surgery to remove the breasts or long-term use of existing drugs such as tamoxifen. Both of these strategies can cause significant physical and psychological side effects such as endometrial cancer, blood clotting and depression. In this pilot study we will test whether a new drug called enobosarm, which works by selectively activating beneficial androgen hormone action, is effective at preventing breast cancer in experimental models of the disease. Recently enobosarm was reported to provide beneficial effects in women with advanced breast cancer, with minimal side effects. Therefore this drug has excellent potential as a breast cancer prevention drug. Demonstrating that enobosarm can prevent tumour development in experimental models, and providing evidence for no apparent long term deleterious effects on normal tissues and their function, is essential before this drug can be tested for the ability to prevent breast cancer in women. Our aim is to provide women at high risk of breast cancer with new alternatives to prevention that would reduce their risk of disease and improve their quality of life.