What are the alternatives to hormone therapy for cancer?

Hormone therapy works by blocking hormones or reducing their effect on cancers that depend on those signals. For Hormone Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer, a team may combine hormone therapy with surgery, radiotherapy or systemic treatment. Tamoxifen is one example of a hormone treatment, but it is not appropriate for every person.

Chemotherapy uses medicines that can reach cancer cells throughout the body and may be used before surgery, after surgery or for cancer that has spread. In other situations, local treatment may be enough. Ductal Carcinoma In Situ, Womb Cancer and Endometrial Hyperplasia each have different treatment pathways, so the diagnosis matters.

Ask which feature is driving the recommendation: receptor results, tumour size, grade, stage, menopausal status, other health conditions or a previous treatment response. Ask whether the proposed treatment aims to remove visible disease, reduce the chance of return or control disease elsewhere.

Discuss fertility, bone health, blood-clot history, menopausal symptoms, other medicines and personal priorities. Do not stop hormone treatment suddenly without a clinician’s advice; a different drug, schedule or treatment combination may be possible.

Contact the cancer team promptly for new severe breathlessness, chest pain, one-sided leg swelling, sudden neurological symptoms, uncontrolled vomiting or fever during treatment. These symptoms can have several causes but may need urgent assessment.

Is my cancer hormone-receptor positive, and how does that affect my options? What would chemotherapy, surgery or radiotherapy aim to achieve? Are there alternatives if side effects are difficult? How will we know whether treatment is working?