It accounts for about 70% of diagnosed cases worldwide. The growth of this type of breast cancer is stimulated by hormones that include estrogen and progesterone and relies on factors that are produced within the tumor environment to continue growth. Hormonal therapy or endocrine therapy is increasingly becoming a treatment part and parcel for patients diagnosed with hormonal breast cancer. Thousands of patients across the world received hope and witnessed higher survival rates. Let’s learn about the role of hormonal therapy  by Sugam hospital in breast cancer treatment.

How Hormonal Therapy Works

Hormonal therapy works on hormones with cancer cells and stops the tumor from spreading. Unlike chemotherapy, where it kills all rapidly reproducing cells, hormonal therapy is more targeted and addresses the cancer on hormones. It either decreases the level of hormones in the body or blocks the hormone receptors on the cancerous cells that help them to utilize the hormones for their growth. This approach by our cancer hospital in Chennai makes hormonal therapy an essential and less aggressive intervention in the treatment plan of a patient diagnosed with hormonal breast cancer.

Types Of Hormonal Therapy

There are specific hormonal therapies for the needs of every patient; this is all dependent on factors like the menopausal status and the stage of the cancer. For example, tamoxifen, which is a blocker of the action of estrogen receptors, is often prescribed for women before and after menopause. However, aromatase inhibitors reduce the body’s production of estrogen within its system, hence most frequently used in postmenopausal women. Ovarian ablation or suppression is sometimes done drastically to reduce estrogen production. All the ways try to provide an environment in which hormone-dependent cells will have difficult times to live or multiply.

Hormone Therapy During Early Phase Of Breast Cancer

In early stage hormonal breast cancer, hormonal therapy is typically prescribed after surgery to prevent it from coming back. Adjuvant therapy, as it is called, destroys the remaining cancer cells that might have remained after surgery. It has been known that hormonal therapy increases the survival rate significantly for long periods, thereby allowing patients to live their life without the fear of the disease.

Hormonal Therapy In Advanced Breast Cancer

Hormonal therapy continues to play a significant role in patients with advanced breast cancer. It does control the disease, relieve symptoms, and increase survival with a better quality of life than chemotherapy. More targeted drugs in hormonal therapy have been developed, which include CDK4/6 inhibitors that are mostly combined with the traditional hormones for better results.

Attainment Of Equilibrium In Advantages And Side Effects

Although hormonal therapy for breast cancer has revolutionized the treatment of the disease, its side effects are not free from challenges. A patient could experience hot flashes, reduced bone density, and sometimes fatigue. Our best oncologists in Chennai, work closely with patients so that these effects do not interfere with the effectiveness of the treatment. The good times outweigh the disadvantages of this therapy for many patients who are under such treatment continuously.

Hormonal therapy has revolutionized the management of hormonal breast cancer, giving a targeted, effective, and often less toxic alternative when it comes to traditional treatments. It has improved survival rates and quality of life for thousands of women by breaking the cancer’s reliance on hormones. As research continues to advance, the future of hormonal therapy looks even more promising, providing hope for better outcomes and, perhaps, a cure.