Breast Cancer Subtypes: Part 1 of 3 - Hormone Receptor Status.

When diagnosed with secondary breast cancer, all of the medical terminologies can be very overwhelming. This three part series of posts will tell you a little bit more about the main classifications of secondary breast cancer that are used to direct medical treatments. This post focuses on Hormone Receptor status.

Hormones act as messengers and circulate around the body. Hormones can bind to receptors and this causes changes within the cells that contain these receptors. The female hormone receptors found in breast cells are known as oestrogen receptors and progesterone receptors. Oestrogen is the main hormone that helps breast cancer cells to grow, if these breast cancer cells contain the receptor for oestrogen. Progesterone can also cause breast cancer cell growth, if progesterone receptors are present in the breast cancer.

A biopsy is required to determine the hormonal status of breast cancer. If breast cancer contains oestrogen receptors, it will often be called oestrogen receptor positive or ER positive breast cancer and this is often shortened to ER+. Similarly, if the breast cancer contains progesterone receptors it'll be called progesterone receptor positive, PR positive breast cancer or PR+.

If the breast cancer contains oestrogen and/or progesterone receptors it'll often be called hormone receptor positive or HR+. If the breast cancer contains very low levels or no oestrogen and/or progesterone receptors it'll be called hormone receptor negative or HR-.

Around 70-80% of newly diagnosed breast cancers are hormone receptor-positive. If the primary breast cancer spreads to another location and becomes secondary breast cancer, this same hormone receptor-positive status can be maintained (resulting in HR+ secondary breast cancer). Breast cancer that spreads can also change hormone receptor status and be different to the hormone receptor status of the primary breast cancer. A biopsy of the location that the breast cancer has spread to can help determine the hormone status of the secondary site.

Knowing the hormonal status of breast cancer is important because numerous treatments, known as hormonal therapy, can help block the effect of oestrogen or reduce the amount of oestrogen in the body and so help slow hormone receptor positive cancer growth. If the breast cancer is hormone receptor negative hormonal therapy will not be of benefit and your specialist will discuss other treatment options with you. Examples of hormonal therapy include tamoxifen and letrozole.

It's ok to feel confused when presented with your breast cancer classification and please do not be afraid to ask your oncologist or secondary breast cancer nurse to explain your pathology results to you.
Remember when it comes to your diagnosis - knowledge is power!

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