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I have HR positive breast cancer. Will hormonal therapy help?

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Patient's Query

Hello doctor,

I have recently been diagnosed with HR-positive/HER2-negative breast cancer, but I am feeling uncertain about my diagnosis and treatment plan.

I understand that this type of cancer is hormone receptor-positive and generally treated with hormonal therapies. However, I am concerned about how effective these treatments will be for me and whether there are any risks I should be aware of.

I am also wondering if there are additional tests I should request to confirm the diagnosis or better understand my prognosis. Could you provide more clarity on what this diagnosis means and the potential side effects of treatments like hormone therapy?

I want to make sure I fully understand my condition before moving forward with treatment.

Kindly help.

Thank you.

Answered by Dr. Arshad Hussain Shah

Education:

MD

Professional Bio:

Dr. Arshad Hussain Shah is a Medical Oncologist specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer using chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy. He is dedicated to providing personalized, evidence-based care that supports patients through all stages of cancer treatment while improving their quality of life.

This doctor is not available for online consultations on the platform anymore.

Hello,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

I read your query and can understand your concern.

Usually, HR (hormone receptor)-positive breast cancers are better than HR-negative ones. Breast cancers, such as hormone-positive breast cancers, tend to grow slowly compared to hormone-negative breast cancers, and these types of cancers are less aggressive.

HR-positive 2 neu are sometimes called luminal A breast cancers. As they need less aggressive treatment sometimes, if diagnosed at an early stage, only surgery and hormonal treatment are needed, and they have an excellent prognosis.

Hormonal therapy (treatment given using hormones as drugs) (for example, Tamoxifen) blocks the effects of estrogen on hormone receptor-positive breast cancer cells by attaching to the estrogen receptors on the cells. If Tamoxifen is attached to the receptor, estrogen cannot attach to the cancer cell, and the cell does not receive estrogen's signals to grow and multiply.

The survival of patients with this type of cancer depends upon the stage and molecular profile of the patient. In the early stage or up to stage 3, this type of cancer is curable in most cases.

If already diagnosed as her two neu negative and HR-positive in a reputed lab. Then, there is usually no need to repeat it.

I hope this information will help you.

Thank you.

Medically reviewed by iCliniq medical review team
Published At October 26, 2024
Reviewed At November 18, 2025

Education:

MD

Professional Bio:

Dr. Arshad Hussain Shah is a Medical Oncologist specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer using chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy. He is dedicated to providing personalized, evidence-based care that supports patients through all stages of cancer treatment while improving their quality of life.

This doctor is not available for online consultations on the platform anymore.

Same symptoms don't mean you have the same problem. Consult a doctor now!

Education:

MD

Professional Bio:

Dr. Arshad Hussain Shah is a Medical Oncologist specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer using chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy. He is dedicated to providing personalized, evidence-based care that supports patients through all stages of cancer treatment while improving their quality of life.

This doctor is not available for online consultations on the platform anymore.

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