Estrogen receptors in colorectal cancer: goalkeepers, strikers, or bystanders?

This perspective on Jin et al. (beginning on page 910 in this issue of the journal) discusses the importance of estrogen signaling in colorectal carcinogenesis, with a focus on estrogen receptor beta (ERbeta), which is the predominant ER in the colorectal epithelium. The importance of ERbeta in breast cancer is well described in the literature, and recent studies reveal that ERbeta functions similarly in colorectal cancer. The implications of this pathway include new possibilities to treat or prevent colorectal cancer with targeted endocrine drugs and the potential of ERbeta as a novel diagnostic tool.