This is one of the most common and deeply emotional questions asked by women diagnosed with breast cancer in India. After months or years of treatment, surgeries, medicines, scans, and follow ups, it is natural to ask, “Is this truly over?” When the diagnosis is hormone positive breast cancer, the answer is not always simple, but it can still be hopeful.
To understand the idea of cure, we must first understand the nature of this type of cancer and how doctors look at recovery.
Understanding Hormone Positive Breast Cancer
Hormone positive breast cancer means that the cancer cells grow in response to hormones like estrogen or progesterone. This is actually a good thing in many ways, because it gives doctors a clear target for treatment. Medicines can block or reduce these hormones, slowing down or stopping cancer growth.
In India, a large number of breast cancer cases are hormone positive.
These cancers often grow more slowly and respond well to treatment when compared to more aggressive types.
What Does Cure Really Mean in Cancer Care
In everyday language, cure means the cancer is gone forever and will never come back. In medical practice, doctors usually speak about long term control rather than absolute cure.
If a person remains cancer free for many years after completing treatment, especially beyond five or ten years, the chances of cancer returning become very low. At that stage, many doctors are comfortable saying that the disease is effectively cured.
However, hormone positive breast cancer behaves differently.
Why Hormone Positive Cancer Is Unique
Hormone positive breast cancer has a tendency to be quiet and slow. While this is good during initial treatment, it also means that cancer cells can sometimes remain inactive in the body for many years.
This is why doctors recommend hormone therapy for five years or sometimes even longer. These medicines are not a sign that the cancer is still active. They are a protective shield, reducing the risk of recurrence over time.
Many women find this confusing or emotionally tiring. The question often arises, “If I am still taking medicines, am I really cured?”
The Role of Hormone Therapy in Long Term Safety
Hormone therapy plays a crucial role in keeping hormone positive breast cancer under control. It reduces the chances of cancer coming back in the breast or appearing elsewhere in the body.
Completing the full course of hormone therapy significantly improves survival and quality of life. Studies across the world and in India show that women who adhere to treatment do very well in the long run.
Side effects can happen, but they can often be managed with guidance and support.
Living Cancer Free With Confidence
Many women in India go on to live full, healthy lives after hormone positive breast cancer. They return to work, raise families, travel, celebrate festivals, and watch their children grow.
Follow up visits, scans, and medicines may continue for some years, but these are part of staying safe, not signs of failure. Over time, check ups become less frequent and life slowly finds its rhythm again.
Emotional healing is just as important as physical recovery. Fear of recurrence is common, and talking openly with doctors, family, or support groups can make a big difference.
Dr. Pragati Singhal
