You may be prescribed breast cancer hormone therapy either before or after an operation to get rid of cancer. The point of this treatment is to remove estrogen from your body if your tumor is considered estrogen receptor positive, which means that the tumor feeds off this female hormone. You will likely be given a pill to take once per day, and you can usually go through breast cancer hormone therapy at the same time as other types of therapies for cancer, including radiation treatment. While this kind of therapy is ideal for removing breast cancer and keeping it from coming back, there are some side effects that vary depending on the drug that you are prescribed.
One of the most common breast cancer hormone therapy drugs is tamifloxen, which is a selective estrogen receptor modulator, or SERM. The main objective of this drug is to stop the effects that estrogen often has on the body, and you can expect to take it for up to five years. Its side effects include hot flashes, vaginal dryness, headaches, and irregular menstrual periods. On the other hand, you may be prescribed aromatase inhibitors, such as exemestane, letrozole, or anastrozole, all of which tend to reduce the amount of estrogen in the body. This type of medication is not for use in women who still have periods since it cannot stop the ovaries from producing estrogen, and common side effects include vaginal bleeding, hot flashes, and joint pain.
Breast cancer hormone therapy has various purposes. One of the main reasons to take this kind of treatment is that it is meant to help remove cancer, but it can also slow the progression of early stage breast cancer. In addition, it can help prevent the cancer from spreading to other areas of the body, and can even stop it from returning once it is treated. Some doctors even prescribe breast cancer hormone therapy before surgery to remove a tumor in the hopes that it will shrink the growth, making it easier to remove.
Aside from the common side effects that you may experience while taking breast cancer hormone therapy, there are some even more threatening yet rare risks that come with the treatment. For example, you may develop osteoporosis, blood clots, heart disease, or cataracts after treatment. Unfortunately, you may also end up trading breast cancer for endometrial or uterine cancer since these cancer types are among the risks. The good news is that these threats are all quite rare, and most doctors consider breast cancer hormone therapy beneficial enough to outweigh the risks.
