Hormonal therapies take advantage of the fact that some breast cancers depend on estrogen for their growth. They are given primarily to women whose tumors contain estrogen and/or progesterone receptors. The choice of hormonal therapy is affected by the patient's menopausal status.
Patients can be treated with an estrogen receptor blocker such as tamoxifen. In some premenopausal patients, physicians may choose to add medications that suppress ovarian function. Examples include:
Postmenopausal patients can be treated with an aromatase inhibitor, which blocks estrogen production, thereby starving cancer cells by denying them the substance they need for growth. Aromatase inhibitors include:
Postmenopausal patients can also be treated with an estrogen receptor blocker such as fulvestrant (Faslodex®).
