What Are the Treatments for Estrogen Receptive Cancer?
According to the American Cancer Society, estrogen promotes the growth of about two out of three breast cancers. Treatment of estrogen receptive cancer combines traditional cancer treatments with hormone therapy. Your treatment plan will be tailored to address the role estrogen plays in your cancer cells.
Features
Your cells have hormone receptors that receive messages from your hormones. These messages tell your cells what to do. Estrogen is a hormone that tells your cells to grow. High levels of estrogen can increase abnormal cell growth. The growth of estrogen receptive cancer cells is fueled by your body's estrogen.
Treatment
Your estrogen receptive cancer may be treated with surgery, radiation therapy or chemotherapy. In some cases, ovaries are removed to stop your production of estrogen. Chemotherapy and radiation are used to kill the cancer cells.
Hormone Therapy
Hormone therapy is the use of medication to lower the amount of estrogen in your body or to block the effect of estrogen on the cancer cells. There are three types of hormone therapy drugs. Hormone therapy is used to help shrink tumors, slow the growth of cancer cells and prevent re-occurrence.
Estrogen Receptor Down Regulators
Estrogen receptor down-regulators aim to shut down and eliminate the estrogen receptor in your cancer cells. Once the receptor is no longer able to receive messages from your estrogen the cell will stop growing. Faslodex is a common estrogen receptor down-regulator.
Aromatose Inhibitors
Inhibitors slow down or stop your body's production of estrogen. They are used to help limit the amount of estrogen in your body. Without estrogen the estrogen receptive cancer cells will not be able to grow. Common inhibitors are Femara, Aromasin and Arimidex.
SERMs
Selective estrogen receptor modulators, SERMs, stop the estrogen from working. These drugs interrupt the estrogens ability to give a message to the cancer cells. Tamoxifen, Evista and Fareston are common SERMs.
Tags: cancer cells, your body, estrogen receptive cancer, estrogen receptor, receptive cancer, amount estrogen
