Marie: I was treated for hormone-dependent breast cancer and was prescribed hormone therapy. They explained to me that it was to reduce the risk of recurrence and that I should take it for 5 years. A friend of mine who also had breast cancer was prescribed it for 10 years. I would like to understand why I was not prescribed it longer and if I will continue to be protected when I stop taking it.
Pr Mahasti Saghachian : The length of prescription for hormone therapy depends on your risk of relapse. It is in fact not equivalent from one woman to another, even if they are affected by the same subtype of cancer. This risk depends on various factors: the size of the tumour, the number of lymph nodes affected, etc.
“Hormonotherapy protects once morest relapses for 5 years following stopping it. »
For most women affected by hormone-dependent cancer, the risk of relapse persists between 5 and 10 years following stopping treatment. But for others, it can persist for up to 15 years. Fortunately, beyond 15 years, relapses become very rare. Hormone therapy protects once morest recurrences for another 5 years following stopping treatment: if you take it for 5 years, you are therefore protected for 10 years. That is why, for most women, the optimal duration of hormone therapy is 5-7 years. It is 10 years for women who have a risk of relapse up to 15 years.
