Stratification of Estrogen Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer Patients by Co-Expression Network Analysis

Endocrine therapy plays a vital role in treating estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer, yet drug resistance continues to pose a significant challenge, highlighting the need for more effective biomarkers to enhance patient stratification. In this study, a novel gene module screening workflow was developed to identify hub genes related to estrogen receptor status using co-expression network analysis. The identified key modules exhibited a strong association with estrogen receptor status and were enriched in cancer-related pathways. A total of 29 hub genes were pinpointed within these modules and validated as potential biomarkers in two independent datasets. This method offers fresh perspectives on identifying molecular biomarkers and uncovering novel therapeutic targets for estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer.