Debu Tripathy on Hormonal Therapy for Breast Cancer

Video

Debu Tripathy, MD, chair, Department of Breast Medical Oncology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses hormonal therapy for advanced and early-stage breast cancer.

Debu Tripathy, MD, chair, Department of Breast Medical Oncology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses hormonal therapy for advanced and early-stage breast cancer.

About two-thirds of all breast cancers make hormone receptors, which can cause changes in the expression of genes and lead to cell growth. Hormone therapy interrupts the hormone action and slows or stops the growth of hormone-sensitive tumors.

Hormone therapy can put patients with advanced breast cancer into remission or keep their disease from progressing for years, Tripathy says.

In early-stage breast cancers, hormone therapy can help prevent metastatic recurrences.

Tamoxifen is typically used for premenopausal patients with breast cancer and aromatase inhibitors are used for postmenopausal patients. Tripathy says that patients at higher risk seem to benefit from longer durations of hormonal therapy.

Newsletter

Stay up to date on recent advances in oncology nursing and patient care.

Recent Videos
Photo of a woman with blonde hair wearing a denim jacket in front of a blue background
2 experts are featured in this series.
2 experts are featured in this series.
Photo of a woman with brown hair and a floral blouse
Photo of a woman with a blue border around the image
2 experts are featured in this series.
2 experts are featured in this series.
Image of a woman with gray hair and glasses in front of a blue Oncology Nursing News background
Photo of a woman with blond wavy hair wearing a blazer in front of a blue Oncology Nursing News background
Photo of a woman with shoulder-length blond hair in front of an Oncology Nursing News backdrop
Related Content