Adjuvant Therapy
1 medicine
Adjuvant therapy is treatment given after primary cancer treatment, usually surgery or radiotherapy, to lower the chance the cancer returns. In hormone-sensitive breast cancer this often means a medicine such as anastrozole.
Key facts
- Adjuvant therapy is treatment given after the main cancer treatment, usually surgery or radiotherapy, to lower the chance the cancer returns.
- It targets residual microscopic disease rather than active tumour, working alongside the primary treatment rather than replacing it.
- In hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer, anastrozole, an aromatase inhibitor, is one of the most widely used agents to block the oestrogen signal that fuels the tumour in post-menopausal women.
- Courses typically run five years, sometimes up to ten for higher-risk cases, with regular oncology reviews throughout.
How it works in hormone-sensitive cancers
In hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer, the tumour depends on oestrogen or progesterone to grow. Removing that hormonal signal after surgery can significantly cut the risk of recurrence over the following five to ten years. Anastrozole is one of the most widely used agents in this setting; it belongs to the aromatase-inhibitor class and lowers oestrogen levels in post-menopausal women. It sits within the oncology support medicines used alongside primary cancer treatment.
Duration and follow-up
Adjuvant courses typically run for five years, and some guidelines now extend to ten for higher-risk cases. The length is guided by individual tumour characteristics, not a one-size schedule. Regular oncology reviews matter throughout: they track tolerability, bone density (a common concern with long-term aromatase inhibitors), and any new findings.
This page is educational and does not replace advice from a doctor or pharmacist who knows your health history.