TheConversation: One of every eight women in the United States will develop invasive breast cancer over her lifetime. Eighty percent of those cancers are fueled in part by estrogens. One treatment for women whose breast cancer is fueled by estrogen –
or what is often called estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer –
is for them to take drugs that block estrogens. But estrogens have
benefits that should be considered. This particularly affects postmenopausal women who have gone through
the trauma of surgery for invasive breast cancer. They are typically
faced with a very difficult decision. Should they take estrogen blockers
or not? Is the treatment worth it, balancing the risk of recurrence of
the cancer with potential quality-of-life issues?
