When a woman is diagnosed with early stage breast cancer, one of the first things doctors want to determine is the estrogen and progesterone receptor status of the cancer. In nearly two-thirds of breast cancers, estrogen and progesterone can stimulate cancer growth and determining the cancer’s receptor status at the time of original biopsy can help doctors determine which course of therapy will be most effective. If a woman's breast cancer is estrogen receptor positive, there are a number of strategies to reduce, block or eliminate estrogen in her body. Surgical techniques include prophylac