Hormone therapy is the treatment of cancer with medication that interferes with the way the hormone estrogen works.
Estrogen is a naturally occurring hormone in the human body that plays an important role in the female reproductive system. Estrogen also influences the development of breast cancer.
Hormone therapy is usually given after surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy. The goal of hormone therapy is to block the way estrogen promotes the growth of some breast cancers. The therapy is also intended to help reduce the risk of recurrence (the cancer coming back).
Estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer
In some people with breast cancer, the presence of estrogen promotes cancer cell growth. Estrogen attaches to the surface of a cancer cell at special points called receptors and speeds up the growth of that cell. These cancers are known as estrogen receptor-positive because the cancer growth is stimulated by estrogen. If the effect of estrogen on these cells can be stopped, the cancer growth is slowed down. Hormone therapy can help to do this.
Estrogen receptor-negative breast cancer
In other people, the breast cancer cell growth rate is not affected by the presence of estrogen. These cancers are known as estrogen receptor-negative. For patients whose cancers are estrogen receptor-negative, there is likely no benefit from taking hormone therapy.
To find out the estrogen receptor status of breast cancer, cancer cells are tested in a lab. If they are found to be estrogen receptor-positive, then hormone therapy may help.
Read on for information about three different types of hormone therapy:
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