Estrogen promotes the growth of about 2 out of 3 of breast cancers — those containing estrogen receptors (ER-positive cancers) and/or progesterone receptors (PR-positive cancers). Because of this, several approaches to blocking the effect of estrogen or lowering estrogen levels are used to treat ER-positive and PR-positive breast cancers. Hormone treatment breast cancer is given to block the body’s naturally occurring estrogen and fight the cancer’s growth.

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What are hormones? Hormones are substances produced by glands in the body and circulated in the bloodstream. Some hormones can cause certain cancers to grow. The hormone estrogen, which makes some breast cancers grow, is made mainly by the ovaries. Treatment to stop the ovaries from making estrogen is called ovarian ablation. Hormone therapy is another form of systemic therapy that is most often used as an adjuvant therapy to help reduce the risk of cancer recurrence after surgery. It can be used as neoadjuvant treatment as well, and to treat cancer that has spread or has come back after treatment.

Tamoxifen is an anti-estrogen drug that works by temporarily blocking estrogen receptors on breast cancer cells, preventing estrogen from binding to them. They are taken daily as a pill, and is often given to patients with early stages of breast cancer and those with metastatic breast cancer. The downside to using tamoxifen, however, is that it may increase the chance of developing endometrial cancer. For this reason, women taking this drug should have a pelvic exam every year to look for any signs of cancer.

Aromatase inhibitors, on the other hand, work by blocking an enzyme (aromatase) that is responsible for making small amounts of estrogen in post-menopausal women. Hormone therapy with an aromatase inhibitor is given to some post-menopausal women who have hormone-dependent breast cancer.

These are two examples of hormone treatment for breast cancer.

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