Therapies for Hormone Estrogen Receptor Positive Breast Cancer

Estrogen receptor positive breast cancer is cancer that has estrogen receptors present in various cancer cells. While the estrogen receptor is a protein molecule binding of the estrogen hormone. An estrogen source to stimulate cell proliferation or increase the amount to be backrest for the ER-positive cancers. The number of ER-positive is about 60 percent of all cases breast cancers.

Anti-estrogen therapy is another name commonly used for hormonal therapy. One function is to reduce levels of estrogen in the body. In addition, it serves to block estrogen attached to cancer cells.

To determine the best type of hormone therapy according to your health condition, it requires a partnership between you and your medical doctor. Some things you can discuss with your doctor for example are the stage of the cancer, if you have entered menopause, and many of your personal health conditions.

There are several types of primary hormone therapy commonly used, such as:

- SERMs (Selective estrogen-receptor response modulators). Estrogen effects on breast tissue to be blocked by it. The way is by doing attachment to receptors of estrogen in cells of breast. SERM drug that most usually utilized as a treatment for breast cancer is tamoxifen. As for those who have experienced post-menopausal period and has reached an advanced stage, usually they are given a SERM drug such as Fareston, or toremifene in its chemical term.

- Aromatase inhibitors. In women who have reached the post menopause, estrogen production can be stopped by a hormone therapy called an aromatase inhibitor. The enzyme aromatase converting hormone androgens to be a small estrogen amounts will be inhibited by these aromatase inhibitors. It indicates that there is very little estrogen existing to give stimulation the development of hormone estrogen-receptor-positive breast cancer cells. Then why do these drugs merely work for those who experienced the post-menopause? The reason is that the ovaries producing estrogen can not be stopped by these aromatase inhibitors. Fat tissue and adrenal glands are the major hormone sources for these women, so it is not their ovaries as its primary source. Femara, Aromasin, and Arimidex are three of them.

Actually there are many other hormonal therapies used to treat breast cancers such as estrogen-receptor downregulators (ERDs) and luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agents (LHRHs). There are also other hormone therapies that are specifically used as an advanced-stage breast cancer. Knowing that there are estrogen receptors in breast cancer cells, then it will be helpful in determining the range of effective treatments.