Hormone Therapy for Breast Cancer

Hormone therapy for breast cancer is typically given after surgery to reduce your risk of cancer recurrence. It is also a treatment option for breast cancer that returns after treatment or spreads to other areas of your body.

At UPMC, breast medical oncologists use the latest hormone therapy medications — often in combination with other therapies or as part of clinical trials — to optimize your breast cancer treatment.

What Is Hormone Therapy?

 In people with hormone-receptor positive breast cancer, breast cancer cells have proteins that attach to estrogen and progesterone hormones, which occur naturally in the body. These hormones cause breast cancer to grow and spread.

Hormone therapy slows or stops cancer growth by preventing hormones from attaching to the breast cancer cells.

What Types of Breast Cancer Does Hormone Therapy Treat? 

Hormone therapy can be used to treat hormone-receptor positive breast cancers, including:

• Estrogen-receptor (ER) positive breast cancer.
• Progesterone-receptor (PR) positive breast cancer.

Hormone therapy is most often used after breast cancer surgery to reduce your risk of recurrence. However, it may also be used to treat breast cancer that comes back after treatment or has spread to other parts of your body.

Who’s Eligible for Hormone Therapy Services for Breast Cancer?

You may be eligible for hormone therapy for breast cancer if you have hormone-receptor positive breast cancer that was treated with surgery, or if your cancer has returned or spread.

What Hormone Therapy Treatments Do We Offer? 

We offer hormone therapy treatments for breast cancer that block estrogen from fueling breast cancer growth or lower estrogen levels in your body, including:

• Aromatase inhibitors (AIs) — Stop estrogen production in your body. Medications include letrozole, anastrozole, and exemestane.
• Luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) agonists — Prevent ovaries from making estrogen. Medications include goserelin and leuprolide.
• Selective estrogen receptor degraders (SERDs) — Used in post-menopausal women to prevent estrogen from connecting to cancer cells and break down estrogen receptors. Medications include fulvestrant and elacestrant.
• Selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) — Used in pre-menopausal women to prevent estrogen from connecting to cancer cells. Medications include tamoxifen and toremifene.

Hormone therapy clinical trials

UPMC experts participate in national, multicenter clinical trials studying promising hormone therapy treatments for breast cancer.

That means you can participate in research that has the potential to advance breast cancer care and access groundbreaking treatments years before they are available to the public. Your doctor will let you know if a hormone therapy clinical trial may be an option for you.

What Can I Expect?

Your doctor will inform you if hormone therapy is a breast cancer treatment option for you. Most hormone therapy medications are taken daily in pill form, but some may be given as injections.

You may be prescribed one or more hormone therapy medications after surgery to reduce your risk of breast cancer recurrence. In most cases, these medications are taken for several years after breast cancer treatment.

What are the side effects of hormone therapy for breast cancer?

Hormone therapy treatments may cause symptoms of menopause, such as hot flashes, vaginal dryness, menstrual cycle changes, and mood swings. Your doctor will monitor your response to your medications and help you manage any side effects.

Why Choose UPMC for Hormone Therapy for Breast Cancer?

 When you choose UPMC for hormone therapy care for breast cancer, you will receive:

• Comprehensive breast cancer expertise — The breast cancer experts at UPMC provide state-of-the-art care for every form of breast cancer at every stage of the disease.
• Personalized, collaborative care — Our surgical, medical, and radiation oncologists work together to plan the best course of therapy for you.
• Supportive services tailored to your needs — Our approach to breast cancer care honors your preferences by blending advanced clinical methods with supportive services for the best possible results.

By UPMC Editorial Staff. Last reviewed on 2025-09-18.