Care for Hormone Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer on the Central Coast
If you are diagnosed with breast cancer, your doctor works closely with you to learn as much as possible about the source of your cancer. If hormones cause your breast cancer, your cancer is considered hormone receptor-positive.
Whether your cancer is receptor-positive or receptive-negative plays an important role in allowing your Dignity Health Central Coast doctor to develop the most effective, personalized treatment plan for your unique circumstances.
If you have questions about hormone receptor-positive breast cancer, Find a Doctor today. The experts at Dignity Health provide quality care for hormone receptor-positive breast cancer on the Central Coast of California.
Exploring Risk Factors for Hormone Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer
Being a woman is the greatest risk factor for hormone receptor-positive breast cancer. Other risk factors include:
- Age
- Being Caucasian
- Having dense breast tissue
- Being exposed to the synthetic estrogen Diethylstilbestrol
- Beginning your period before age 12, or entering menopause after age 55
- Having a personal history or a family history of breast cancer
- BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations
- Previously receiving chest radiation therapy
About 70 percent of breast cancers are hormone receptor-positive. Compared to hormone receptor-negative cells, hormone receptor-positive cells tend to grow more slowly and are more common in postmenopausal women.
Searching for Hormone Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer Symptoms
While there are no specific symptoms for hormone receptor-positive breast cancer, the most common symptom is a lump. Other symptoms can include:
- A change in the size or shape of a nipple
- Nipple discharge (that isn’t breast milk)
- Skin changes or swelling around your nipple
To rule out or confirm a breast cancer diagnosis, your Dignity Health Central Coast doctor will perform a biopsy. This procedure also can determine which type of breast cancer you have and the best treatment for you.
Compassionate, Personalized Treatments
The most common treatment for hormone receptor-positive breast cancer is surgery. The stage of your breast cancer will determine the type of surgery. Our doctors at Dignity Health Central Coast provide treatment with a philosophy of care, dignity, and respect. Your doctor will work closely with you to determine whether you may need a lumpectomy to remove the tumor and surrounding tissue or a mastectomy to remove the entire breast.
You will likely receive radiation therapy following a lumpectomy. You also may receive chemotherapy to keep cancer cells from growing. Other treatment options include hormone therapy, which blocks receptor cells or lowers the level of hormones in the body, or targeted therapies, which destroys cancer cells using proteins.
Contact Dignity Health Central Coast today to learn more about cancer screenings for breast cancer, including hormone receptor-negative breast cancer, on the Central Coast.
Dignity Health’s team of experts offer trusted care for a range of oncology services and treatment of hormone receptor-negative breast cancer on the Central Coast of California.