ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Selective estrogen receptor degrader

Okay kiddo, so inside a person's body there are things called receptors. These receptors are like little doors that open up to let certain things in. One type of receptor is called an estrogen receptor, and it lets a certain type of hormone called estrogen in.

Now, scientists have figured out a way to create a medicine that can go inside the body and target these estrogen receptors. But this medicine doesn't just open the door and let the estrogen in like normal. Instead, it actually breaks down or destroys the estrogen receptor altogether.

Why would someone want to do that, you ask? Well, sometimes having too much estrogen can be a bad thing. It can cause certain types of cancer, like breast cancer. So if someone has cancer caused by too much estrogen, they might take this special medicine called a selective estrogen receptor degrader (SERD) to help stop the cancer from growing and spreading.

So in summary, a selective estrogen receptor degrader is a medicine that can target and destroy certain receptors in the body that let in a hormone called estrogen. This can be helpful for treating certain types of cancer caused by too much estrogen.
Related topics others have asked about: