Treating breast cancer
with hormonal therapies
Some breast
tumors need hormones to grow. Hormone therapy keeps
cancer cells from getting or using the natural hormones
they need. These hormones are estrogen and progesterone.
Lab tests
can show if a breast tumor has hormone receptors.
If you have this kind of tumor, you may have hormone
therapy. This treatment uses drugs or surgery:
Drugs:
Your doctor may suggest a drug that can block the
natural hormone. One drug is tamoxifen, which blocks
estrogen. Another type of drug prevents the body from
making the female hormone estradiol.
Estradiol
is a form of estrogen. This type of drug is an aromatase
inhibitor. If you have not gone through menopause,
your doctor may give you a drug that stops the ovaries
from making estrogen. Surgery: If you have not gone
through menopause, you may have surgery
to remove
your ovaries. The ovaries are the main source of the
body's estrogen. A woman who has gone through menopause
does not need surgery. (The ovaries produce less estrogen
after menopause.)
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