Glossary

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

A

Adrenal glands: A pair of organs located on top of the kidneys that produce hormones, including estrogen.

Antiestrogen: Any medication that blocks estrogen; these medications are used to treat breast cancers that depend on estrogen for growth.

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C

Clinical trial: A medical study that tests the safety and effectiveness of a drug or intervention in people.

Cytotoxic (cell-killing) chemotherapy: Treatment with drugs that attack and kill rapidly growing cancer cells, and some normal cells.

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E

Estrogen: A female hormone; one of the hormones that can help some breast cancer tumors grow.

Estrogen receptor: A message-carrying protein that takes estrogen and brings it into the cell. Once inside the cell nucleus, estrogen can give the signal for a tumor cell to grow.

Estrogen receptor antagonist: Prevents estrogen from attaching to the estrogen receptor and signaling the tumor cell to grow.

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H

Hormonal treatment (therapy): In breast cancer, using drugs to block the effects or production of estrogen.

Hormone receptor-positive breast cancer: Hormone-sensitive breast cancer that depends on hormones like estrogen and/or progesterone to grow.

Hormones: Substances produced by organs or cells in your body that affect bodily processes. (Estrogen and progesterone are examples.)

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I

Intramuscular injection: An injection given into the muscle.

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M

Metastatic breast cancer: Cancer that has spread from the breast and lymph nodes under the arm to other parts of the body, such as bone, liver, lung, or brain.

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P

Postmenopausal: After you have stopped having your period for at least 12 months. If you are in doubt, please talk to your doctor.

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