How Does Hormone Therapy Impact Breast Cancer Treatment?
How Does Hormone Therapy Impact Breast Cancer Treatment? from Patient Empowerment Network on Vimeo.
For breast cancer patients who have been on hormone therapy, what do they need to know? Expert Dr. Demetria Smith-Graziani explains how hormone therapy works, when it’s most often used in the treatment process, and recommended questions for patients to ask their doctor.
Demetria Smith-Graziani, MD, MPH is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology at Emory University School of Medicine. Learn more about Dr. Smith-Graziani.
[ACT]IVATION TIP
“…ask how long their formal and therapy is recommended and what potential side effects there are of their treatment.”
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Transcript:
Lisa Hatfield:
Dr. Smith, many women are on or have been on hormone therapy. How does hormone therapy play into breast cancer treatment?
Dr. Demetria Smith-Graziani:
Okay, so for breast cancers that feed off hormones in your body, specifically breast cancers that are positive for the estrogen and progesterone receptors, we use anti-estrogen therapy to treat the breast cancer. And these are medications that lower the amount of estrogen in your body so that it no longer provides that food source to be cancer cells, and they will not grow and develop in the same way as if there is estrogen present.
We usually use this hormone therapy or anti-estrogen therapy after you’ve had treatment such as surgery or radiation or chemotherapy, and we usually keep patients on those medications for anywhere from five to 10 years to help reduce the risk of their breast cancer coming back up to 50 percent.
We also use hormone therapy for patients with stage IV or metastatic breast cancer as part of their long-term treatment, so my activation tip for patients is to ask how long their formal and therapy is recommended and what potential side effects there are of their treatment.
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