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Article: Blocking breast cancer: do faulty estrogen receptors make a meaner, tougher tumor?
- Article from:
- Science News
- Article date:
- May 12, 1990
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1990 Science Service, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Blocking Breast Cancer
Hidden within every breast tumor lies a clue to its character: the presence or absence of receptors that bind with the hormone estrogen.
Receptor-rich tumors depend on estrogen for their growth, and some scientists believe they represent a milder form of breast cancer than tumors without estrogen receptors. Furthermore, women with estrogen-dependent tumors are considered candidates for a relatively nontoxic drug called tamoxifen, which can halt tumor growth by blocking estrogen binding. Tamoxifen's discovery in the 1970s was hailed as both a lifesaver and a deliverance from the terrible side effects of cell-killing chemotherapy.
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