Methods for treating or preventing cancer in a kras-variant patient and for diagnosing risk of developing multiple primary breast tumors

Abstract

The invention relates to methods for preventing cancer in a KRAS-variant subject which include administering to the KRAS-variant subject an amount of estrogen effective to reduce the risk of developing cancer. In another aspect, the invention further relates to methods for treating cancer in a KRAS-variant subject, which include gradually decreasing estrogen exposure in the KRAS-variant subject to reduce the risk of aggressive tumor growth. In another aspect, the invention relates to a method of predicting an increased risk of developing a second, independent breast cancer in a subject. The method can include detecting a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) at position 4 of the let-7 complementary site 6 of KRAS in a patient sample wherein the presence of said SNP indicates an increased risk of developing a second, independent cancer in said subject.

1 .- 5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . A method for treating cancer in a KRAS-variant subject, the method comprising:
 gradually decreasing estrogen exposure in the KRAS-variant subject to reduce the risk of aggressive tumor growth.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the cancer is breast cancer, ovarian cancer, or non-small cell lung cancer. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein estrogen exposure is gradually decreased by antagonizing estrogen function. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein estrogen function is antagonized by increasing dosage of an estrogen or estrogen receptor antagonist. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the estrogen receptor antagonist is tamoxifen, clomifene, femarelle, ormeloxifene, raloxifene, toremifene, lasofoxifene, ospemifene, afimoxifene, arzoxifene, bazedoxifene, or fulvestrant. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the estrogen receptor antagonist is anastrozole or fulvestrant. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the method further comprises detecting a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) at position 4 of the let-7 complementary site 6 of KRAS in a patient sample to determine the present of the KRAS variant. 
     
     
         13 . A method of predicting an increased risk of developing a second, independent breast cancer in a subject, comprising detecting a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) at position 4 of the let-7 complementary site 6 of KRAS in a patient sample wherein the presence of said SNP indicates an increased risk of developing a second, independent cancer in said subject. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the second, independent cancer is breast cancer. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the subject is a breast cancer patient.