Estrogen receptor positive breast cancer
Common Questions and Answers about Estrogen receptor positive breast cancer
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Tamoxifen is a selective estrogen receptor modulator, meaning that it targets estrogen in the breast independent of ovarian production of estrogen. However, if you have had your ovaries removed, then you would be postmenopausal and could possibly take an aromatase inhibitor instead of tamoxifen. Either way, if your breast cancer is hormone receptor positive, then hormone therapy would likely be recommended as the body does produce estrogen outside of the ovaries.
Hello -- I have been trying to find out whether consuming flax seed would interfere with the efficacy of the taxol / herceptin treatments that I am receiving for my breast cancer. I understand from a study done at the University of Toronto that flax seed may help to eliminate breast cancer. However, I would not want to consume anything that would interfere with my regular medical treatment. The cancer is in the left side of my lymph system. It is estrogen-receptor and HER-2 positive.
A score of Estrogen Receptor positive (ER+) means that estrogen is causing your tumor to grow, and that the cancer should respond well to hormone suppression treatments. If the score is Estrogen Receptor negative (ER-), then your tumor is not driven by estrogen, and your results will need to be evaluated along with other tests, such as your HER2 status, to determine the most effective treatment.
Positive vs.
My brother was diagnosed to have Stage III Breast Cancer..he underwent Modified Radical Mastectomy & his histopath results showed positive ER/PR/Her2Neu...what exactly does triple positive test results mean in lay man's term? ESTROGEN RECEPTOR ASSAY = POSITIVE, STAINING INTENSITY=+2, PERCENT TUMOR CELLS STAINED=+5, PROGESTERONE RECEPTOR ASSAY=POSITIVE, STAINING INTENSITY=+3, PERCENT TUMOR CELLS STAINED=+4, c-erb-B2 (Her-2/neu) =POSITIVE...
A mass of breast cancer is actually composed of a mixed population of cancer cells. Some cells are strongly ER positive, some only mildly so, and some are even ER negative (do not contain estrogen receptors). When exposed to an aromatase inhibitor like letrozole, those cells which are strongly ER positive are very susceptible to the effects of this drug and either die off or stop multiplying.
I would like to add that since Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) refers to the fact that the cancer cells are negative for estrogen and progesterone receptivity,it is generally considered more aggressive.
What you won’t need is a long term drug treatment. Unfortunately TNBC doesn’t depend on estrogen or progesterone to grow, as most breast cancers do that need Tamoxifen or Arimidex to stop the cancer from growing.
However, rare foci of micrometastasis are identified in one deeper level section as well as in the immunohistological study stains with cytokeratin AE1. Estrogen receptor pos/ progesterone receptor pos/ her-2/neu negative Finished 4 chemo sessions with taxol plus cytoxin. Is this enough of adjuvant therapy. Thank you.
Do you know if your cancer was estrogen receptor postive? It is important to know that before you consider HRT. If it is estrogen receptor positive, then you definitely don't want to start taking hormones. Have you talked to your doctor about it? There are other things out there that can help with the symptoms that would be safer. Don't try OTC medications as they can mimic soy in the body, which cancer cells can view as estrogen. It sounds like you have your cancer under control.
Hello -- I have been trying to find out whether consuming flax seed would interfere with the efficacy of the taxol / herceptin treatments that I am receiving for my breast cancer. I understand from a study done at the University of Toronto that flax seed may help to eliminate breast cancer. However, I would not want to consume anything that would interfere with my regular medical treatment. The cancer is in the left side of my lymph system. It is estrogen-receptor and HER-2 positive.
Hi,
The issue with soy is that it contains chemicals that are very similar to estrogens. If the breast cancer is estrogen receptor positive, some of the treatments(Tamoxifen and others)) that are given work by blocking estrogen production. By ingesting other estrogens, there is a theoretical concern that a person could be interfering with the therapeutic effect of reducing estrogen and, in fact, give the tumor the food it needs to grow.
Estrogen receptors and Progesterone receptors are often lumped into one category and if positive place the breast cancer into the category of hormone receptor positive breast cancer. This means that hormone therapy (the exact drug depends on the individual situation) will likely be recommended as part of the treatment plan. A Her-2 rating of 2+ suggests that the testing for this protein was done with a method called immunohistochemistry.
and for estrogen receptor-negative than for estrogen receptor-positive tumors. The link between density and breast cancer also appeared to be stronger for ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) than for invasive tumors.
Apparently it is mainly the "extremely dense" tissue that carries the additional BC risks reported above. Since you are in a fairly low density category, I don't think this needs to cause you particular concern.
And with hormone positive cancer you for sure want to block your ovaries (if you still have them) and/or your adrenals from feeding estrogen to your estrogen positive breast cancer. You mention one mastectomy. That means you still have breast tissue on the remaining breast and also whatever breast tissue cells left behind on the mastectomy side. Research research research!! Weigh the options and risk factors and decide what you can live with.
Dear river1980, Both Femara (letrozole) and Arimidex (anastrozole) are aromatase inhibitors used in the treatment of hormone receptor positive breast cancer in post menopausal women. Aromatase inhibitors block the enzyme aromatase (found in the body's muscle, skin, breast and fat), which is used to convert androgens (hormones produced by the adrenal glands) into estrogen. In the absence of estrogen, tumors dependent on this hormone for growth will shrink.
A related discussion, <a href="/posts/Breast-Cancer/ER-positive-breast-cancer-in-postmenapausal--osteopenia/show/2001664">ER positive breast cancer in postmenapausal & osteopenia</a> was started.
In general, it is individuals who have cancers that are estrogen and/or progesterone receptor positive that benefit from endocrine treatments such as Arimidex. It is possible for a recurrence to differ from the original cancer in terms of hormone receptor status. It is also possible to have false negatives when testing. For these reasons, there may be times when endocrine treatments can be tried for recurrent disease, even if the original cancer was hormone receptor negative.
The biopsy report indicates that it is 45-50% estrogen receptor positive but negative for Progesterone and Negative for Her2. Oncologist wants me to have radiation followed by Chemo as he says Hormonal blocker will not work on this type of cancer. What are your thoughts? Anyone with the same problem?
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