Breast Cancer Screening and Treatment

The more progesterone or estrogen that is present on those cells, it is more likely that hormonal therapy will be successful against this particular type of cancer.

Hormone receptor test

With such advances in diagnosis for breast cancer, screening and treatment of breast cancer the death rate for this type of cancer has decreased by approximately 20% over the last ten years.

Research is ongoing to develop more effective methods of screening as well as treatment programs.

Hormone receptors are just like the antennae or ears on a cell. Estrogen is what tells the cancer cells to begin growing.

When the estrogen attaches to the receptors, then the cells begin growing.

After the cancer is taken out, the cancer cells are then tested to see if the hormone receptors are present. If either progesterone or estrogen is present, then it is possible to be treated using hormonal therapy.

The more progesterone or estrogen that is present on those cells, it is more likely that hormonal therapy will be successful against this particular type of cancer.

"Anti-Estrogen Therapy"

Another name for this type of hormonal therapy is known as "anti-estrogen therapy". The goal of this type of therapy is to starve the cancer cells of the hormone that they live on which is estrogen.

Progesterone as well as estrogen travel through the bloodstream and find their receptor sites on both the cancer as well as the healthy cells.

Many beast cancers are dependent upon hormones. This means that the progesterone and the estrogen stimulate their growth by switching on hormone receptors in the cancerous cells. When these hormones are not present, the cancer cells will wither and will usually end up dying.

Progesterone and estrogen play roles in the formation of certain types of this cancer in women.

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Estrogen is an extremely important key for any estrogen-receptor (ER) sites in the whole human body and on some cancer cells.

The progesterone receptors (PR) can also be involved in switching on the growth of breast cancer cells.

When a cancer only shows a few estrogen receptors or none at all, hormonal therapy is not that effective.

However, if there ARE progesterone receptors then hormonal therapy may be helpful.

This article has attempted to discuss the sign and symptoms of this type of cancer, what tests may be involved and how hormonal therapy may be able to reduce some types of this dreaded disease.