What is a common method used to treat hormone-sensitive breast cancer?

Hormone therapy is a common method used to treat hormone-sensitive breast cancer because it targets specific biological pathways that drive the growth of these cancers. Hormone-sensitive breast cancers often have receptors for estrogen and/or progesterone, and these hormones can promote the growth of cancer cells.

Hormone therapy works by blocking the effects of these hormones or lowering hormone levels in the body. This can involve the use of medications such as selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs), aromatase inhibitors, or ovarian suppression strategies. By reducing the stimulation of cancerous cells through hormonal pathways, hormone therapy can effectively slow the progression of the disease and improve patient outcomes.

The other treatment methods, such as surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy, have their own roles but are not specifically designed to inhibit hormone-driven cancer cell growth as hormone therapy is. Surgery may be used to remove tumors, chemotherapy can address fast-growing cancers, and radiation therapy can target specific areas, but they do not specifically target the hormonal aspects of hormone-sensitive breast cancer like hormone therapy does. Thus, hormone therapy stands out as the most direct and effective approach for this particular type of cancer.