What is er+ breast cancer?
Like other cancers, there are different types of breast cancer. Some are more common than others.
Around 80 in every 100 breast cancers diagnosed are known as ER+ cancers. ER+ stands for "estrogen-receptor positive". What this means is that this cancer essentially feeds on hormones to help it grow. This is the type that I was diagnosed with back in '22.
High estrogen levels (or oestrogen as it's usually spelt here in the UK) have been linked to an increased risk of developing breast cancer. This is because estrogen stimulates breast cells to divide and grow, and this could make it more likely for the cells to grow abnormally and become cancerous. Not everyone with high levels will go on to develop cancer though, so it's important not to panic.
What causes high estrogen levels? There are several factors, including being overweight/obese, starting your periods before the age of 12, menopause after the age of 55, not having children, taking some oral contraceptives and HRT.
The good news is that estrogen-receptor positive cancers generally respond well to treatment. This treatment is known as hormone or endocrine therapy, and involves either reducing the amount of hormone in your body, or blocking it from getting to the cancer cells.
There are different types of hormone therapy available, and which is right for you will depend on your age, whether you've already become menopausal, and your medical circumstances. Personally, I started out with Tamoxifen which is the most common first-line treatment for pre-menopausal women. However, it didn't agree with me - and that's a whole 'nother story.
Currently I take an LH-blocker called Goserelin to turn off my ovaries and put me into menopause, and an aromatase-inhibitor called Aromasin which stops my body turning other hormones into estrogen.
The important thing is that your oncologist will find an option to suit you. The downside is that these medications, like others, come with side effects. And I'll be covering these in another post later this month.
Got questions? Drop them in the comments or shoot me an email.
And check your ta-tas!
D x
#BreastCancerAwarenessMonth #BreastCancer #EarlyDetection #ERPositive #WomensHealth #HormoneTherapy
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Hello, I’m Dee. I'm a freelancer who writes stuff and does creative comms for healthcare and tech/cyber/SaaS companies. I also design and run digital campaigns and events. And I when I'm not doing that, I'm on here, bugging the shit out of everyone to check their tits and bits.