Info
HR+ / HR- (hormone receptor)
Diagnosis
What it means
A term describing whether a tumor (most often breast cancer) has estrogen and/or progesterone receptors. HR positive (HR+) means the tumor may respond to hormone therapy; HR negative (HR-) means it does not have these receptors.
Related terms
The terms below often appear alongside this one. Each definition is right here, so you do not have to look elsewhere.
- ER (oestrogen receptor)
- A protein present in some tumor cells that responds to the oestrogen in the body. ER positive tumors can be stimulated by oestrogen — but they can also respond to hormone therapy.
- AFP (alpha-fetoprotein)
- A tumor marker useful especially for liver cancer and certain testicular or ovarian tumors. It is measured in the blood for diagnosis, monitoring treatment and detecting a recurrence.
- ALK-positive
- A gene rearrangement found in a subset of lung cancers, more common in non-smoking or younger patients. ALK-positive tumors often respond very well to specific targeted therapies, different from standard chemotherapy.
Other terms in “Diagnosis”
Glossary definitions are written for patients by the OncoDots team and go through internal medical review. They explain terms; they do not establish a diagnosis and do not recommend a treatment.