Hormonal Treatment


Introduction:

hormonal medications are better targeted if compared to chemotherapy medications although both of them are working systemically.

Hormonal medications function by cutting the fuel supply lines for cancer cells which depend upon the hormones estrogen or progesterone to grow. Cancer cells which have estrogen receptors are abbreviated ER+ while those have progesterone receptors are abbreviated PR+. Most of the hormonal therapy specifically targets estrogen receptor(ER+) but those women whose breast cancers are PR+ may also respond to the therapies specifically targets ER+ breast cancer cells.

In general, hormonal therapies are used after breast cancer surgery and often after chemotherapy or radiation if these treatments were also used. Sometime, some hormonal medications can be used in women at high risk for breast cancer in order to help them decrease their risk.