Which hormone drug best halts lobular breast cancer growth?

NCT ID NCT02206984

Completed Disease control Sponsor: Priscilla McAuliffe Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Aug 07, 2026 · Last updated Aug 07, 2026

Summary

This phase 2 trial compares three hormone therapies—fulvestrant, anastrozole, and tamoxifen—in women with invasive lobular breast cancer, a subtype that is often treated the same as more common breast cancers despite limited evidence. Participants take one of the drugs for about three weeks before surgery, and researchers measure changes in Ki67, a marker of tumor cell growth. The goal is to see if fulvestrant is more effective at slowing tumor growth, which could guide more personalized treatment for this cancer type.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance: Fulvestrant, anastrozole, and tamoxifen (hormone therapies)
What this could lead to: If fulvestrant proves more effective at slowing tumor growth, it could become a better first-line treatment for this breast cancer subtype, improving outcomes for patients.
What could go wrong: This is a small, early-phase study measuring a biological marker (Ki67) rather than long-term outcomes, so results may not translate to real-world survival benefits. Hormone therapies can cause side effects like hot flashes and fatigue.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

breast cancer breast neoplasm invasive lobular breast carcinoma

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

BREAST CANCER

Contacts and locations

Locations

ALBERT EINSTEIN COLLEGE OF MEDICINE Montefiore Medical Center

The Bronx, New York, 10467, United States
Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, United States
Georgetown University Medical Center

Washington D.C., District of Columbia, 20007, United States
Josh Plassmeyer

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15213, United States
Lester and Sue Smith Breast Center, Baylor College of Medicine

Houston, Texas, 77030, United States
Mayo Clinic

Rochester, Minnesota, 55905, United States
UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center

Birmingham, Alabama, 35294, United States
UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center

San Francisco, California, 94143, United States
Univ. of Washington, Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center

Seattle, Washington, 98109, United States
University of Chicago Medical Center

Chicago, Illinois, 60637, United States
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27514, United States
University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

Houston, Texas, 77064, United States

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