What is the role of hormone receptors in breast cancer?
In case of breast cancer, the circulating substance is the female hormone ‘estrogen’ and the receptor on the cell of the breast is ‘estrogen’ receptor. Estrogen is a hormone which is normally present in females, it binds to the estrogen receptor on the cells of the breast, and causes the cancer cell to divide rapidly. Thus, estrogen is responsible for the growth of the tumour. Similarly, there are receptors for the other female hormone called progesterone. But the most important one is the Estrogen Receptor (ER). From the above, it is logical that if we could stop the interaction between the estrogen and the receptor, we could decrease the growth of the tumour which expresses ER. And we could prevent further occurences of an ER dependent breast cancer. Not all breast cancers express hormone receptors, but in those that express, we have a chance to intervene there.
Related Questions
- Was the effect of E+P on breast cancer different in women who had taken menopausal hormone therapy before entering the WHI study?
- Do Bio-Identical Hormones have the same danger of breast cancer as other forms of hormone replacement therapy?
- Do pellets have the same danger of breast cancer as other forms of hormone replacement?
