Some breast cancers need estrogen to grow

Some breast cancers need estrogen to grow

Some breast cancer cells require the hormone estrogen to grow and divide. Estrogen is produced by the ovaries until menopause, after which a woman’s estrogen levels drop dramatically. However, small quantities of the hormone continue to be produced by fat cells in various parts of the body. Some breast cancer cells have special receptors on their surface that have a particular affinity for estrogen. That’s why women with breast cancer often benefit from therapies that either block the hormone’s effects on breast cancer cells or lower estrogen levels in the body overall.