HORMONE THERAPY IN FINAL BREAST CANCER STADIUM

For some people, when they hear the word cancer, it is conceivable that a severe illness and lead to death. This opinion can be said is true, if the cancer has spread to parts of the body so it is very difficult to overcome, but cancer is not something impossible to be cured. This can not be separated from the consciousness of the individual in his health due to their early detection of cancer to determine the success of therapy. The earlier detected, the greater the possibility for healing and vice versa.

Breast cancer is a disease in which cancer cells are found in the area (tissue) breast. Breast cancer is divided into several stages of breast cancer in situ, and breast cancer stage I - IV. This classification is based on the level of the spread of cancer cells. The higher the severity stage (spread) of cancer is also higher and more difficult to cure.

Breast cancer is characterized by a lump in the breast, one size bigger breasts, swelling and redness of the skin around the breast area and the rare is the disappearance of the nipple. Symptoms are usually felt a stabbing pain, bone pain and difficulty breathing. By knowing the signs and symptoms are expected by society to be more vigilant so the breasts cancer can be detect early.

Therapy commonly done to overcome breast cancer among others, is through surgery, radiation, cemoterapi and hormone therapy. Operations performed for early stage breast cancer, where there are two types of mastectomy surgery and lumpectomy. The difference, on the appointment of mastectomy performed while the breast lumpectomy only raised the cancer cells only. Radiation done to clean up the remnants of the remaining cancer cells after surgery, while chemotherapy and hormone therapy primarily to end-stage breast cancer where the spread of cancer cells is very broad and difficult to be appointed with the way operations. Chemotherapy and hormone therapy is done by giving single or combination of drugs to patients.

In this paper will discuss more about breast cancer treatment using hormone therapy, especially in end-stage breast cancer (IV) in which cancer cells have spread to other organs in the body especially the bones, stomach, liver or brain, so the removal of cancer cells through road operations difficult or even impossible. The goal of therapy in early-stage breast cancer is to cure breast cancer, but if a patient has reached the final stage (IV) then it's breast cancer is not curable so that the goal of therapy to reduce symptoms and improve quality of life and lengthen life patients. It sounds very pessimistic, but the reality on the ground showed that patients who had reached the final stage is very difficult even incurable. By not reducing the life expectancy of patients, continued therapy is likely to recover although virtually gone.

Estrogen is one of the causes of breast cancer. Sex hormone estrogen is a functioning secondary to form and mature female sex organs (one breast) during puberty. Estrogen triggers cell growth and maturation in the female genital organs called duct cells, duct cells, where it then will divide normally. Maturation times of these duct cells are most vulnerable when the duct cells are exposed to mutation. If there is one cell that has a mutation due to hereditary factors, radiation, free radicals, etc. then these cells can divide so excessive that develop into cancer. From this it can be concluded that estrogen is one factor responsible for the risk of breast cancer, because that was the target of therapy is to prevent the estrogen hormone is the affect / exacerbate existing cancer cells.

In hormone therapy there are several classes of drugs used, among others, are the ones that one of the antiestrogen drug tamoxifen which is also a first-choice drug in breast cancer therapy. Tamoxifen is a prodrug and metabolites, 4-hydroxytaminofen and des-N-methyl-4-hydroxytaminofen (endoxifen) which compete with estrogen for binding to the estrogen receptor. In breast tissue, 4-hydroxytaminofen thus acts as an antagonist of estrogen response gene transcription is inhibited, thus any effects of estrogen can be inhibited. Hormone therapy is generally given solely for the use of the drug combination showed no increase but rather enhance the effects of toxicity.

Tamoxifen has a generic name tamoxifen Citrate and is produced in Indonesia by PT Kalbe Farma Tamofen trade name. Tamofen diindikaskan for palliative treatment of advanced breast cancer in women who have menopause, as well as additional medication after surgery or radiotherapy for early breast cancer that can be operated on women who have menopause, but this Tamofen contraindicated in pregnant women. Tamofen contained in the dosage form film-coated tablet 20 mg x 3 x 10 seeds and film-coated tablet 10 mg x 3 x 10 seeds with the manufacturer's 2 tablets 1-2 times a day and for end-stage breast cancer are used every day. As usual drugs, Tamofen also have side effects include: feeling hot and facial flushing, gastrointestinal disorders, mild leukopenia & thrombocytopenia, vaginal bleeding, itching in the vulva / vagina (female external genitalia), skin rash, hypercalcaemia, suppress menstruation, swelling due to ovarian cysts that are reversible, irregular menstruation cycle, peripheral edema, the food does not taste, depression, dizziness, headache, and ocular changes. Although Tamofen indicated for women who have menopause, Tamofen can also be given to women who had menopause only if due diligence has excluded the possibility of pregnancy.

By taking tamoxifen (Tamofen) regularly every day it is expected that can lengthen a patient's life and reduce symptoms that arise so that the patient did not suffer for the rest of his life by not closing the possibility of the patient can recover from the disease.