Abstract
Sir George Beatson in 1896 was the first to demonstrate the hormone-dependence of human breast cancer when he observed that the disease could be controlled, in a proportion of women, by surgical oophorectomy [1]. We have since come to recognize the fact that hormone-dependent breast cancer occurs in approximately one-third of patients and represents an important subtype of the disease, displaying characteristic biologic features. In general, this type of breast cancer, when compared to its hormone-independent counterpart, is characterized by a rather more indolent clinical behavior, better histologic differentiation, less mitotic activity, and a tendency to spread to bone and soft tissues rather than to visceral sites. Moreover, hormone-dependent breast cancer can be recognized by the presence of estrogen and progesterone receptors in the tumor. The distinctive features of this subtype of breast cancer have encouraged much research concerning the role of hormones as determinants of tumor cell growth, that has led to the development of various therapeutic strategies.
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© 1988 Kluwer Academic Publishers, Boston
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Harvey, H.A. (1988). Luteinizing Hormone-Releasing Hormone Agonists in the Treatment of Breast Cancer. In: Osborne, C.K. (eds) Endocrine Therapies in Breast and Prostate Cancer. Cancer Treatment and Research, vol 39. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-1731-9_3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-1731-9_3
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
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