Hormone receptor positive breast tumor

A hormone-receptor-positive (HR+) tumor is a tumor which consists of cells that express receptors for certain hormones. The term most commonly refers to estrogen receptor positive tumors (i.e. tumors that contain estrogen receptor positive cells), but can also include progesterone receptor positive tumors. Estrogen-receptor-positive tumors depend on the presence of estrogen for ongoing proliferation.

Treatment

Endocrine treatment may be beneficial for patients with hormone receptor positive breast tumors.[1]

There are two ways for treating these kind of tumors:

  • Lowering systemic levels of estrogen, achieved by the use of drugs from the aromatase inhibitor category.[2][3] These drugs target one of the enzymes that takes part in the biosynthesis of estrogen.
  • Blockage of the estrogen receptors on the cancerous cells, thus preventing estrogen binding, leading to decreased proliferation. Drugs in this category are also referred to as SERMs (Selective estrogen receptor modulator) since they are able to block estrogen receptors in a selective manner.

See also

References
  1. DeVita, Vincent T.; Lawrence, Theodore S.; Rosenberg, Steven A.; Robert A. Weinberg; Ronald A. DePinho (2008-04-01). DeVita, Hellman, and Rosenberg's cancer: principles & practice of oncology. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. pp. 1646–. ISBN 978-0-7817-7207-5. Retrieved 1 August 2011.
  2. Trunet PF, Vreeland F, Royce C, Chaudri HA, Cooper J, Bhatnagar AS (April 1997). "Clinical use of aromatase inhibitors in the treatment of advanced breast cancer". J. Steroid Biochem. Mol. Biol. 61 (3–6): 241–5. doi:10.1016/S0960-0760(97)80018-0. PMID 9365196.
  3. Younus J, Vandenberg TA (April 2005). "A practical overview of aromatase inhibitors in postmenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer". Bull Cancer. 92 (4): E39–44. PMID 15888383.
  4. Legha SS (August 1988). "Tamoxifen in the treatment of breast cancer". Ann. Intern. Med. 109 (3): 219–28. doi:10.7326/0003-4819-109-3-219. PMID 3291659.

Further reading

http://www.breastcancer.org/treatment/hormonal/what_is_it/hormone_role.jsp

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