Anti- Estrogen Combo Better for Late Breast Cancer. Aug. 1, 2. 01. 2 - - Older women with the most common type of metastatic breast cancer may soon have a new treatment option that may improve their survival. A new study shows that postmenopausal women with advanced disease treated with a combination of two anti- estrogen therapies lived longer than women who took one drug followed by another. The study is the first to show that combination hormonal therapy can slow disease progression and improve survival in advanced breast cancer, says researcher Kathy Albain, MD, of Loyola University Medical Center. The research appears in the Aug. New England Journal of Medicine. Understand types of breast cancer and how they differ. Breast cancer is a disease characterized by cells in the breast that become abnormal and multiply uncontrollably, forming a tumor. If left untreated, malignant cells. Cancer.Net provides timely, comprehensive, oncologist-approved information from the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), with support from the Conquer Cancer. Breast Cancer supplement, vitamins, herbs information, diet, food, soy Natural ways to prevent and treat, alternative therapy, herbal remedy.April 19, 2010. To help doctors give their patients the best possible care, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and the College of American Pathologists. Hormonal therapy medicines treat hormone-receptor-positive breast cancers in two ways: by lowering the amount of the hormone estrogen in the body. There are two different forms of the estrogen receptor, usually referred to as ER-positive breast cancer has a high chance of being successfully treated, especially when it’s discovered early. A diagnosis at a later stage will have a less. The rest took the two drugs together from the time they enrolled in the trial. Compared to women in the standard treatment group, women who took the combination therapy survived about six months longer - - meaning that for some women the benefit was even greater. The combination therapy also appeared to slow the progression of their disease and it was well tolerated with a side effect profile similar to that of single- drug treatment. Three years into the trial, women taking the combination therapy were 1. Albain says. Combo Treatment May Work for Early Disease. The researchers believe the two drugs' different modes of action may explain why they seem to work better in combination than on their own. Continued. Mehta, MD, tells Web. MD. The New England Journal of Medicine, Aug. Rita S. Mehta, MD, University of California Irvine Medical Center, Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, Orange, Calif. Kathy S. Albain, MD, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, Ill. News release, University of California, Irvine. News release, Loyola University Medical Center. All rights reserved. Treatments for Hormone- Receptor- Positive Breast Cancer. Hormonal therapy, sometimes also called anti- estrogen therapy, works by lowering the amount of estrogen in the body or blocking estrogen from attaching to the breast cancer cells. You and your doctor will work together to decide which form of hormonal therapy is best in your situation. Topics you may discuss include: other features of the breast cancer, such as stage; other medical conditions you may have; whether or not you have been through menopause (menstrual periods have stopped); and your personal preferences. The main types of hormonal therapy that may be used include: Selective estrogen- receptor response modulators (SERMs). SERMs block the effects of estrogen in the breast tissue by attaching to the estrogen receptors in breast cells. Tamoxifen is the SERM most commonly used to treat breast cancer. Another SERM called Fareston (chemical name: toremifene) is sometimes used to treat advanced breast cancer in postmenopausal women. Aromatase inhibitors. Aromatase inhibitors stop the production of estrogen in postmenopausal women. Aromatase inhibitors work by blocking the enzyme aromatase, which turns the hormone androgen into small amounts of estrogen in the body. This means that less estrogen is available to stimulate the growth of hormone- receptor- positive breast cancer cells. Aromatase inhibitors can't stop the ovaries from making estrogen, so these medications only work in postmenopausal women. The main sources of the hormone for those women are the adrenal glands and fat tissue, not the ovaries. Aromatase inhibitors include Arimidex (chemical name: anastrozole), Aromasin (chemical name: exemestane), and Femara (chemical name: letrozole). Estrogen- receptor downregulators (ERDs). Estrogen receptor downregulators, called ERDs for short, block the effects of estrogen in breast tissue. ERDs sit in the estrogen receptors in breast cells. If an ERD is in the estrogen receptor, there is no room for estrogen and it can't attach to the cell. ERDs also reduce the number of estrogen receptors and change the shape of breast cell estrogen receptors so they don't work as well. Faslodex (chemical name: fulvestrant) is an ERD that may be used to treat advanced, hormone- receptor- positive breast cancer in postmenopausal women if other hormonal therapy medicines, such as tamoxifen, are no longer working. Luteinizing hormone- releasing hormone agents (LHRHs). LHRHs shut down the ovaries and stop them from producing estrogen, which means less estrogen is available to help support the growth of hormone- receptor- positive breast cancer. LHRHs are usually given by injection once a month for several months, or every few months. Premenopausal women with early- stage, hormone- receptor- positive breast cancer can be treated with LHRHs. Examples include Zoladex (chemical name: goserelin), Lupron (chemical name: leuprolide), and Trelstar (chemical name: Triptorelin). When the medicine is stopped, the ovaries begin functioning again. The time it takes for the ovaries to recover can vary from woman to woman. Other hormonal therapies may be used to treat advanced breast cancer that is hormone- receptor- positive and does not respond to the treatments listed above. Megace (chemical name: megestrol) is a form of progestin that suppresses the effects of estrogen on breast cancer cells. Halotestin (chemical name: fluoxymesterone) is an anabolic steroid that lowers the amount of estrogen in the body. Prophylactic ovary removal is another, more aggressive way some premenopausal women may choose to significantly lower the amount of estrogen in the body. This is a serious surgery that can have a considerable impact on a woman’s life. Learn more about prophylactic ovary removal. For more information on all of these treatments, visit the Hormonal Therapy section. Your Guide to the Breast Cancer Pathology Report is an on- the- go reference booklet you can fill out with your doctor or nurse to keep track of the results of your pathology report. Order a free booklet by mail or download the PDF of the booklet to print it at home.
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