A tumor cell specific Zona Pellucida glycoprotein 3 RNA transcript encodes an intracellular cancer antigen.

Background: Expression of Zona Pellucida glycoprotein 3 (ZP3) in healthy tissue is restricted to the extracellular Zona Pellucida layer surrounding oocytes of ovarian follicles and to specific cells of the spermatogenic lineage. Ectopic expression of ZP3 has been observed in various types of cancer, rendering it a possible therapeutic target.

Methods: To support its validity as therapeutic target, we extended the cancer related data by investigating ZP3 expression using immunohistochemistry (IHC) of tumor biopsies.

Estetrol Prevents Hot Flushes and Improves Quality of Life in Patients with Advanced Prostate Cancer Treated with Androgen Deprivation Therapy: The PCombi Study.

Background: Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) for prostate cancer (PCa) is accompanied by side effects affecting health-related quality of life (HRQL).

Objective: To assess the effects of the fetal estrogen estetrol (E4) on symptoms related to estrogen and androgen deficiency, and on HRQL measured using the validated Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Prostate (FACT-P) questionnaire.

Design Setting And Participants: This was a phase 2, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study in patients with advanced PCa.

Maintaining bone health by estrogen therapy in patients with advanced prostate cancer: a narrative review.

The purpose of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) in prostate cancer (PCa), using luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonists (LHRHa) or gonadotrophin-releasing hormone antagonists, is to suppress the levels of testosterone. Since testosterone is the precursor of estradiol (E2), one of the major undesired effects of ADT is the concomitant loss of E2, causing among others an increased bone turnover and bone loss and an increased risk of osteoporosis and fractures. Therefore, the guidelines for ADT indicate to combine ADT routinely with bone-sparing agents such as bisphosphonates, denosumab or selective estrogen receptor modulators.

Estetrol Cotreatment of Androgen Deprivation Therapy in Infiltrating or Metastatic, Castration-sensitive Prostate Cancer: A Randomized, Double-blind, Phase II Trial (PCombi).

Background: Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) for prostate cancer with luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) agonists can be improved.

Objective: To assess safety, the frequency and severity of hot flushes (HFs), bone health, and antitumor effects of high-dose estetrol (HDE4) when combined with ADT.

Design Setting And Participants: A phase II, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study was conducted in advanced prostate cancer patients requiring ADT (the PCombi study).

Tumor suppression, dose-limiting toxicity and wellbeing with the fetal estrogen estetrol in patients with advanced breast cancer.

Purpose: The aim of this study (the ABCE4 study) was to assess dose-limiting toxicity (DLT), safety, tolerability and preliminary efficacy of high doses of the fetal estrogen estetrol (E4) in postmenopausal patients with heavily pretreated, locally advanced and/or metastatic ER+/HER2-breast cancer, resistant to anti-estrogens.

Methods: This was a multicenter, open-label, phase IB/IIA, dose-escalation study with a 3 + 3 cohort design, whereby successive cohorts of three patients received 20 mg, 40 mg or 60 mg E4 per day for 12 weeks by oral administration. DLTs, safety and wellbeing were evaluated after 4, 8 and 12 weeks of treatment.