In the breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-453, treatment with calcium, cadmium, or a synthetic agonist also increased the expression of ESRRB-regulated genes that was blocked by the antagonist, enhanced ESRRB nuclear localization, increased the recruitment of RNA polymerase 2 to estrogen-related receptor response elements (ERRE), enhanced cell stemness and proliferation pathways, and induced the expression of estrogen receptor alpha (ESR1 or Erα). Here, ESR1 is linked to breast cancer.