Standard treatment for breast cancer starts with surgery to remove the tumour. Surgery is followed by radiation treatment or chemotherapy to destroy any parts of the cancer that may have spread. Three pieces of research into hormone alternatives were presented on Monday at the American Society of Clinical Oncology's annual meeting in Atlanta. The hormone treatment could prove an effective option for tackling hormone responsive tumours. The growth of these tumours is partially dependent on the female hormone oestrogen.
Scientists believe three out of every five breast cancers are hormone responsive.
Tamoxifen has already shown potential as a preventive treatment Scientists started to look at hormone therapy after spotting a side effect of chemotherapy - damage to the ovaries. This reduces oestrogen levels and stops menstruation. Studies have shown that those women who stop menstruating after chemotherapy appear to do better than those who continue, suggesting that starving a cancer of oestrogen can improve the chances of survival. It is almost standard now for young women who have not started the menopause to get chemotherapy after surgery, but the new research offers hope of an alternative. This therapy causes oestrogen levels to drop to those found in women after the menopause, and causes menstruation to stop.