If, therefore, examination of removed tumor tissue reveals hormone receptors, this indicates a close link between the two, prompting doctors to recommend hormone therapy to block the combination of estrogen and receptor. One method is aimed at filling the hormone receptors to prevent them from combining with estrogen (suitable for women of all ages); another is designed to block estrogen production directly (suitable for post-menopausal women).
因此，若在手術切除的腫瘤組織檢體中發現荷爾蒙受體，表示兩者關係密切，醫師就會採用荷爾蒙療法，以阻斷雌激素與受體的結合，一種是想辦法佔據荷爾蒙受體，使之無法與雌激素結合（適合所有年齡層的婦女）；另一種是直接阻斷雌激素的產生（適合停經後的婦女）。