Hormonal therapy medicines provide a non-surgical approach to the treatment of breast cancers that are hormone-receptor-positive.
Hormone receptors are like ears on breast cells that listen to signals from hormones such as estrogen and progesterone. These signals "turn on" growth in cells that have receptors.
Most breast cancers are hormone-receptor-positive.
Hormonal therapy medicines such as tamoxifen and anastrozole can be used to:
- lower the risk of early-stage hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer coming back;
- lower the risk of hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer in women who are at high risk but haven't been diagnosed with breast cancer;
- help shrink or slow the growth of advanced-stage or metastatic hormone-receptor-positive breast cancers.
Talk to Dr. Anglin and the other members of your Breast Center healthcare team about whether hormonal therapy medicines have a part to play in your treatment plan.
