Debra L. Barton, RN, PhD

The patient, DB, is a 47-year-old woman who has been married 24 years. Her daughter is away at college and her son is a high school senior. Last summer, DB was diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast. She had one positive lymph node with an estrogen receptor/progesterone receptor strongly positive tumor.

Menopause can be experienced prematurely by women with cancer and, as such, is often accompanied by symptoms that are becoming salient management issues. It is common practice to avoid estrogen replacement therapy in women with estrogen-sensitive tumors.