Breast cancer: Hormone therapy

Why does breast cancer sometimes recur after treatment? A new study suggests that in part, the answer may lie in the effect of adjuvant hormone therapy on some cancer cells.

Researchers from different universities looked at the effect of adjuvant endocrine therapy — a type of hormone therapy — on these different breast cancer cells. Their findings suggest the drugs may actually kill some cells and switch others into this sleeper state. If we can unlock the secrets of these dormant cells, we may be able to find a way of preventing cancer coming back, either by holding the cells in permanent sleep mode or by waking them up and killing them.

Doctors usually recommend hormone therapies for the treatment of estrogen receptor-positive breast cancers, in which the cancer cells grow and spread by interacting with a hormone called estrogen. The American Cancer Society note that these make up the majority about two-thirds  of breast cancer cases. Typically, a course of hormone therapy follows surgery  for tumor removal, and while this strategy is successful in many cases, some people experience a relapse. This can lead to metastasis — a state in which cancer cells spread throughout the body, making it more difficult for doctors to spot and treat. This state can be temporary; meaning that there is a possibility these cancer cells will later "awaken," leading to the formation of new tumors. These sleeper cells seem to be an intermediate stage to the cells becoming resistant to the cancer drugs,

For more details please follow the link: 
https://frontiersmeetings.com/conferences/breastcancercongress/
For queries and details contact us: breastcancer@globalbreastcancercongress.org