Hormonal Therapy

Hormonal therapy is a very effective treatment against breast cancer that is hormone-receptor-positive. Find out if you should be tested to see if you need other therapies, as well. Sometimes called "anti-estrogen therapy," hormonal therapy blocks the ability of the hormone estrogen to turn on and stimulate the growth of breast cancer cells.

For years, tamoxifen was the hormonal medicine of choice for all women with hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer. But in 2005, the results of several major worldwide clinical trials showed that aromatase inhibitors (Arimidex [chemical name: anastrozole], Aromasin [chemical name: exemestane], and Femara [chemical name: letrozole]) worked better than tamoxifen in post-menopausal women with hormone-receptive-positive breast cancer.

Aromatase inhibitors are now considered the standard of care for post-menopausal women with hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer. Tamoxifen remains the hormonal treatment of choice for pre-menopausal women.

In this section you can read:

What is Hormonal Therapy?

Find out about hormone receptors and how they work, timing hormonal therapy with your other treatments, and the different types of this systemic (whole-body) treatment.

Aromatase Inhibitors

Learn all about the three aromatase inhibitors—Arimidex, Aromasin, and Femara—and the large studies that have made them the standard of care for post-menopausal women with hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer.

SERMs (Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators)

Find out if tamoxifen might be right for you, and learn about the other SERMs — raloxifene and toremifene.

ERDs (Estrogen-Receptor Downregulators)

Learn about Faslodex (chemical name: fulvestrant) for advanced hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer in post-menopausal women and how it's different from other hormonal treatments.

Ovarian Shutdown or Removal

Read about dramatically lowering estrogen using medicine or surgery in pre-menopausal women with hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer.

Comparing Hormonal Therapies

Look at hormonal therapies side by side to see their differences and similarities.

Who is Hormonal Therapy For?

Find out if hormonal therapy might be right for you—whether you are pre- or post-menopausal, are at high risk but not diagnosed, or have early-stage or advanced hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer.

Benefits of Hormonal Therapy

Learn about the small and big, general and specific benefits of each type of hormonal therapy.

Side Effects of Hormonal Therapy

Read about side effects common to all hormonal treatments, and those specific to each type.

How Long Do You Take Hormonal Therapy?

Find out about sticking with your first treatment or switching therapies before five years, as well as extended use of hormonal medications after five years.

Paying for Hormonal Therapy

Cost of medication is a big issue for many people. Find out what general prices are and where you can go if you need help covering the cost.

Research News on Hormonal Therapy

Many new research advances in hormonal therapy are being made. Find out how the new information leads to changes in treatment recommendations.

The medical experts for Hormonal Therapy are:

• Jennifer Armstrong, M.D., medical oncologist/hematologist, Thomas Jefferson University Health System, Philadelphia, PA
• Marisa Weiss, M.D., president and founder of Breastcancer.org, breast radiation oncologist, Thomas Jefferson University Health System, Philadelphia, PA
• Lisa Weissmann, M.D., medical oncologist/hematologist, Mt. Auburn Hospital, Cambridge, MA

These experts are members of the Breastcancer.org Professional Advisory Board, including more than 60 medical experts in breast cancer–related fields.

The Hormonal Therapy section is made possible by an unrestricted educational grant from Pfizer Oncology.