One of the ways to categorize breast cancers is by receptor status. Breast cancer cells often have some type of receptor on the surface, and the type of receptor can determine which treatment is used on the breast cancer.
“There are three possible receptors,” says Amy Tiersten, MD, oncologist and hematologist at Dubin Breast Center, Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. “There are hormone receptors — estrogen and progesterone — and then there’s a protein called HER2.” In this video, learn which subtypes of breast cancer receive hormone therapy, targeted therapy, and chemotherapy.
Amy Tiersten, MD, is a Professor of Medicine, Hematology, and Medical Oncology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She sees patients at the Dubin Breast Center.
References
American Cancer Society. (2023). Hormone therapy for breast cancer.
American Cancer Society. (2024). Targeted therapy for breast cancer.
Anders, C.K., et al. (2023). Epidemiology, risk factors and the clinical approach to ER/PR negative, HER2-negative (triple-negative) breast cancer. UpToDate.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023). What is triple-negative breast cancer?
National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc. (2024). Triple negative breast cancer.
Susan G. Komen Foundation. (2023). Triple negative breast cancer.
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