How You Can Help

Help others BeWiser by sharing these facts about ER+ breast cancer and treatment options:

  1. Did you know that estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer – cancer where the body’s own estrogen may contribute to its growth is the most common type of breast cancer? In fact, 80% of breast cancer cases are ER+.
  1. Survival rates for many cancers are measured with a five-year benchmark, but ER+ breast cancer is not just a five-year disease, because risk of recurrence continues after five years. In fact, because each woman’s tumor differs biologically, some women may have a disease recurrence before year five, while others may have a recurrence beyond year five.
  1. Breast cancer treatment plans no longer have to be “one-size fits all.” New information and tests are now available to help women better understand their risk of cancer recurrence, and what therapeutic approaches (both the type of therapies and duration of the therapy) are likely to be beneficial for their individual breast cancer.
  1. Studies have shown that for some ER+ breast cancer patients taking anti-estrogen therapy, there is a benefit to extending therapy for an additional five years. But in clinical trials of patients who were recurrence-free at five years, only 3%–5% of patients benefited from extending long-term, anti-estrogen therapies beyond five years.
  1. Women with ER+ breast cancer are often prescribed anti-estrogen treatments for at least five years, and up to 10 years, to prevent recurrence of the disease.  But did you know that because these treatments are specifically designed to inhibit the role of naturally-occurring estrogen in the body, they are often associated with issues such as muscle pain, hot flashes and sexual dysfunction?
  1. If you’ve been on anti-estrogen treatment for five years, are you wondering if you will benefit from continuing with it? Talk to your doctor – in clinical trials of patients who were recurrence-free at five years, only 3%–5% of patients benefited from extending long-term, anti-estrogen therapies beyond five years.