Advanced Therapies Use Immune System and Hormones to Fight Breast Cancer
Medical oncologists at University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center are using the latest hormone and biological therapies to fight cancer. Patients’ cases are presented for evaluation to a breast cancer multidisciplinary team who recommends the best course of treatment.
Hormone Therapy
Some hormones, including estrogen, progesterone and estradiol, cause breast tumors to grow. Hormone therapy for breast cancer– either through drugs, surgery or radiation – reduces hormone production or blocks the body’s hormones from working. Tamoxifen is an example of a hormone therapy drug. Another type of hormone therapy involves removing the ovaries in women who have not yet reached menopause.
Biological Therapy
Biological (or targeted) therapy uses substances to identify and attack specific cancer cells without harming normal cells. Unlike chemotherapy which directly attacks cancerous cells, biological therapy helps the immune system to fight cancerous cells. One example of biological therapy is Herceptin, which targets cells producing excessive amounts of a protein called HER2. This protein is present in about 20 to 30 percent of some breast cancer patients. Herceptin binds to the cells, and slows or stops HER2 growth. About one-fourth of patients with breast cancer have tumors that may be treated with Herceptin combined with chemotherapy.