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- • Postmenopausal women whose lymph nodes and hormone receptors are both positive are usually given
- adjuvant tamoxifen therapy, which can be as effective at prolonging disease-free and overall survival as
- chemotherapy is in premenopausal patients. Tamoxifen is given for at least two years. More than two years
- and as long as five years may be more beneficial. Beyond five years, treatment is investigational. Patients
- receiving tamoxifen who have not had a hysterectomy require some observation for a demonstrated slightly
- increased risk of uterine cancer.
- • It may be appropriate to give chemotherapy in postmenopausal patients with positive nodes and negative
- hormone receptors. However, other studies suggest that tamoxifen may be beneficial.
- • Patients with negative lymph nodes and larger (T2 or T3) tumors have the same considerations as those with
- Stage I cancers. Both premenopausal and postmenopausal patients benefit, but as is true for Stage I cancers,
- the benefit of hormonal treatment is most significant in women over 50.
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- Five-Year Survival 66 percent