One study of the standard CAF program (cyclophosphamide + doxorubicin + 5-fluorouracil), used as adjuvant therapy, showed that with high-dose-intensity therapy, 75 percent of patients were free of recurrence of the cancer three years later, compared with only 64 percent of those given low-dose-intensity therapy.
Hormonal Therapy The lining of the ducts and lobules in the breast change under the influence of hormones , and hormonal manipulation and therapy play an important role in managing breast cancer. A variety of methods were once used to manipulate the hormone balance—removing the ovaries or adrenal glands and sometimes the pituitary gland, for example. Many women responded to these manipulations, others did not. Those who responded not only seemed to have disease that was less aggressive but if they relapsed they could be treated by another hormonal maneuver with an increased chance of response.
More recently, it was discovered that the amount of estrogen and progesterone receptors in a tumor signifies that tumor's dependence on these hormones. This measurement has become important in determining tumor behavior and treatment. Tumors are classified as positive or negative based on the amount of receptor protein present. Tumors with positive receptors are associated with a better patient prognosis and longer survival.
Estrogen receptors may be found in up to two-thirds of patients, while only 40 to 50 percent have progesterone receptors. Postmenopausal women are more likely than premenopausal women to have receptor-positive tumors.
