Hormone Therapy for Breast Cancer

Several forms of hormone therapy can be employed to inhibit the growth of certain breast tumors or reduce the likelihood of certain breast cancers recurring or spreading. Types of hormone therapy medication include aromatase inhibitors, estrogen receptor down-regulators and selective estrogen receptor modulators. These therapies work by either reducing the level of estrogen within a woman’s body or by preventing estrogen from being able to act on existing breast cancer cells. The most often-used form of hormone therapy for breast cancer is called adjuvant therapy, meaning therapy that is provided after cancer removal surgery in order to reduce the possibility of cancer recurring over the next five or more years.