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Adjuvant Endocrine Therapy in Early Breast Cancer

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Management of Early Stage Breast Cancer

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Abstract

Hormonal manipulation is probably the second oldest effective therapy utilized for breast cancer treatment after surgical resection. The use of oophorectomy in the setting of breast cancer in the late nineteenth century predates the use of radiation. The first hormonal drug for breast cancer, tamoxifen, has been available for over half a century now. Use of hormonal manipulation has had a profound impact on the treatment and outcome of breast cancers over the decades. Even though they are among the earliest therapeutic modalities, there is still many unanswered questions including those concerning the myriad interactions of estrogen receptors with other receptors, cytokines, and the tumor microenvironment in general. This chapter will cover the basics of hormonal manipulation and its use in the adjuvant setting in breast cancers. There is still considerable debate on how long we need to continue treatment, if there is any role for newer agents including targeted therapy in this setting and if there are any subsets where we can improve outcomes even further using novel biomarkers and combined therapies.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Aster Medcity, Kochi, Kerala, India

    Ashok S. Komaranchath

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  1. Ashok S. Komaranchath
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiation Oncology, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham University, Kochi, Kerala, India

    Beena Kunheri

  2. Department of Breast and Gynecological Oncology, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham University, Kochi, Kerala, India

    D. K. Vijaykumar

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Komaranchath, A.S. (2021). Adjuvant Endocrine Therapy in Early Breast Cancer. In: Kunheri, B., Vijaykumar, D.K. (eds) Management of Early Stage Breast Cancer. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6171-9_12

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6171-9_12

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  • Online ISBN: 978-981-15-6171-9

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