Enduring Hormone Therapy to Treat Breast Cancer
- Country singer Jillian Cardarelli, 33, is celebrating being “cancer-free” after completing 19 rounds of radiation for stage 2 breast cancer, Now she’s expressing her gratitude while preparing to begin endocrine therapy, which reduces the risk of cancer recurrence.
- Radiation helps kill cancer cells in a targeted way, according to experts such as Dr. Chirag Shah, radiation oncologist and the division chair of Radiation Oncology at AHN Cancer Institute. With breast cancer, it is often used after surgery to kill off any cancer cells that may remain in the breast or surrounding area.
- “Endocrine (hormone) therapy has significant benefits in reducing the risk of breast cancer recurrence and improving breast cancer survival,” says Dr. Eleonora Teplinsky, head of Breast Medical Oncology at Valley Health System.
- Hormone therapy is used for hormone receptor-positive cancers. These types of cancers are the most common types of breast cancer.
- Hormone receptor-positive means the cancer or tumor needs the hormones estrogen and/or progesterone to grow and flourish. Hormone therapy works by driving the estrogen levels down or blocking the estrogen’s ability to interact with the estrogen receptor on the cancer cell.
- Check out SurvivorNet’s AI-powered tool, My Health Questions, if you’re in need of clear, personalized information when you need it most. Available throughout the SurvivorNet website, this resource can help explain treatment options, clinical trials, possible side effects, insurance questions, and more—putting trusted guidance at your fingertips.
The 33-year-old singer-songwriter, who has remained grounded in gratitude and faith throughout her cancer journey, took to social media to share a celebratory video of herself dressed in pink, ringing a bell as bubbles floated around her.
Read More“Endocrine therapy has significant benefits in reducing the risk of breast cancer recurrence and improving breast cancer survival,” Dr. Eleonora Teplinsky, head of Breast Medical Oncology at Valley Health System, previously told SurvivorNet. Endocrine therapy blocks hormones that feed cancer cells.
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Cardarelli will soon be going on hormone therapy (also called endocrine therapy), a medication which is used for hormone receptor-positive cancers. These types of cancers are the most common types of breast cancers. Hormone receptor-positive means the cancer or tumor needs the hormones estrogen and/or progesterone to grow and flourish.
Endocrine therapy works by driving the estrogen levels down or blocking the estrogen’s ability to interact with the estrogen receptor on the cancer cell. Tamoxifen and aromatase inhibitors (like anastrozole, letrozole, and exemestane) are hormone therapy pills used to treat or prevent breast cancer by blocking estrogen’s effects on tumor growth, with mild side effects for some patients.
It’s unclear which endocrine therapy Cardarelli will receive, but for context: Many breast cancer patients are prescribed Tamoxifen for five to 10 years, with evidence showing ten years is more effective than five. Taken alone or with chemotherapy, it reduces the risk of cancer spreading.
RELATED: What is Tamoxifen for Breast Cancer?
Cardarelli continued, “The mental and emotional impact of a cancer diagnosis is something I don’t think I’ll ever fully be able to put into words. It’s something that fundamentally changes your life. You don’t just walk away from it and go back to who you were before. I know I am forever changed.
“To my husband, my family, and my friends who have carried me through this, prayed for me, loved me, and held me up on the hardest days…thank you will never feel like enough.”
She then shared a message of love and strength for anyone navigating a cancer journey, adding, “I know how heavy it can be, even on the days everyone else thinks you’re doing great.”
“One minute at a time, trusting God with everything that comes next,” Cardarelli concluded.
Expert Resources On Breast Cancer Treatment
- The Debates Around Radiation for Breast Cancer
- The Role of Radiation in Breast-Conserving Therapy
- New Option: How The Drug Kisqali and Endocrine Therapy Work For Hard-To-Treat Breast Cancers
- The Drug Ribociclib Plus Endocrine Therapy Extends Life, Slows Spread in Early Breast Cancer
- An Overview of Breast Cancer Treatment
- Acupuncture Promising for Pain Relief from Some Breast Cancer Treatment
- Have You Been Diagnosed With Late-Stage Breast Cancer? Know That You Have Treatment Options.
- Is Immunotherapy Effective in Treating Breast Cancer?
- Should I Have a Lumpectomy or Mastectomy?
Jillian Cardarelli & Mom’s Cancer Journeys
Cardarelli — who recently sang the National Anthem at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts, ahead of a Red Sox baseball game — was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer in May. She went public with her diagnosis on June 10.
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“If breast cancer can happen to an otherwise healthy young woman with no family history of breast cancer, negative genetic testing, and 7 years before routine screening is recommended, it can happen to anyone,” she said in an earlier Instagram post, accompanied by a screenshot of an exclusive article by People magazine.
“My hope is that sharing this journey encourages other young women to get familiar with their bodies, trust their instincts, advocate for themselves, and never ignore something if it feels off.”
Through the hardest moments of her cancer journey, she said her faith and support from loved ones have remained a source of strength.
“I’m incredibly thankful for my husband, family, and friends, who have walked alongside me every step of the way. As for my parents, I hit the parent lottery, to say the least. I also feel incredibly blessed to be surrounded by a medical team I trust implicitly. You know your body better than anyone. Trust your instincts and remember: you are the CEO of your own health,” she concluded.
“I want to encourage those who are struggling through tough and challenging times. We all have a story. We have all overcome something. My hope is that this song can inspire and encourage those who are struggling with something, cancer or otherwise, to be resilient and strong no matter what the obstacle may be.”
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Cardarelli previously told People that she received her diagnosis of stage 2 invasive ductal carcinoma in May.
Recounting what led to her diagnosis, she explained, “I’ve had areas in my breasts that have been diagnosed with dense fibrous tissue since I was 25 years old that I’ve been getting looked at by ultrasound a couple of times, but nothing was ever seen.
“But then, I felt something a little different to me. I knew my body. I was a little more tired.”
In another post, shared on July 26, Cardarelli offered a health update, informing fans that her surgery “was a success.”
She said, “We got clean margins, and last week I had a PET scan that came back clear with no evidence of metastatic disease. A true answered prayer. Now, we’re moving forward with the next step in my treatment plan: 19 rounds of radiation.
“Before that begins, I’m grateful to be in Canada filming Season 2 of Crossroad Springs for @greatamericanfamily while I continue healing from surgery. I’ll leave you with this: get familiar with your body. If something feels off, advocate for yourself.”
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Back in 2020, when Cardarelli released the song “Strong,” she said, according to The Country Note, “I want to encourage those who are struggling through tough and challenging times. We all have a story. We have all overcome something.
“My hope is that this song can inspire and encourage those who are struggling with something, cancer or otherwise, to be resilient and strong no matter what the obstacle may be.”
When Cardarelli went public with her diagnosis, she shared that her mom had been battling stage 4 cancer for past 12 years.
Understanding Hormone Therapy For Breast Cancer
Hormone therapy for breast cancer is one line of defense in the vast toolkit for treatment.
For many women diagnosed with breast cancer, the disease is fueled by hormones—specifically estrogen or progesterone. These are known as hormone receptor-positive cancers, and they represent the most common subtype of breast cancer.
Hormone therapy is designed to block or lower the hormones that help cancer cells grow. It’s a cornerstone of treatment for hormone receptor-positive breast cancer, and it plays a vital role in both treatment and prevention.
These therapies work in two main ways:
- Lowering estrogen levels in the body
- Blocking estrogen receptors on cancer cells so the hormone can’t fuel tumor growth
WATCH: Hormone Therapies for Breast Cancer: Aromatase Inhibitor
Types of Hormone Therapy
One widely used drug is Tamoxifen, which blocks estrogen’s ability to bind to cancer cells. It’s used not only to treat breast cancer but also to help prevent it in women with a strong family history or other risk factors.
Another class of drugs, called aromatase inhibitors, works by stopping the body from producing estrogen altogether. These are typically prescribed to postmenopausal women and include:
- Anastrozole (Arimidex)
- Letrozole (Femara)
- Exemestane (Aromasin)
All are taken as daily pills and have been shown to slow or stop the growth of estrogen-sensitive tumors.
Hormone Therapy Side Effects Can Mimic Menopause
Depending on the endocrine or hormone medication, each one may have its own side effects. Typical side effects for certain types of hormone therapy drugs may include:
- Bone pain
- Joint pain
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea and/or vomiting
- Fatigue
- Constipation
New Breast Cancer Guidelines Recommend Surveillance Based On Recurrence Risk
New guidance from the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), published online ahead of print in the Journal of Clinical Oncology on July 16, 2026, provides updated recommendations for monitoring breast cancer patients after they complete initial (adjuvant) treatment.
The guidelines were developed by an ASCO Expert Panel led by Dr. Zeina Nahleh, Chair of the Department of Hematology-Oncology and Director of the Cleveland Clinic Florida Maroone Cancer Center, and Dr. Maryam Lustberg, Director of the Center for Breast Cancer at Smilow Cancer Hospital and Yale Cancer Center.
It emphasizes a personalized approach to follow-up care, recommending that screening and monitoring schedules be tailored to each patient’s individual risk of recurrence rather than following a one-size-fits-all protocol.
Key Takeaways From the Updated Guidelines:
- Routine monitoring remains important. Medical history reviews, physical exams, and mammograms remain key components of follow-up care after treatment.
- Some visits can happen virtually. Telehealth may be used for certain follow-up appointments, allowing patients to meet with their care team remotely when appropriate.
- Higher-risk patients may need closer monitoring. People with residual cancer after neoadjuvant chemotherapy, inflammatory breast cancer, certain inherited gene mutations (such as BRCA1/2), or those on specific combination therapies may benefit from more frequent follow-up visits, in some cases every 3 to 6 months for up to 10 years.
- Additional testing should be used selectively. The updated guidance provides recommendations on when blood-based tests and imaging beyond routine mammograms may be appropriate, rather than suggesting these tests for every breast cancer survivor.
Dr. Nahleh said in a statement, “The goal of [the] risk-stratified approach is to better address the heterogeneity of patients’ needs and account for these differences. It also emphasizes utilizing resources more effectively in light of the workforce shortage in oncology and rising health care costs.”
What This Means for Patients
Your breast cancer follow-up plan should reflect your individual risk and circumstances, rather than follow a standard checklist.
Patients at higher risk of recurrence may need more frequent or more detailed monitoring, while those at lower risk may not require as many follow-up visits.
Be sure to speak with your oncologist about your recurrence risk and ask how it affects the follow-up schedule they recommend.
It’s important to note that these guidelines may change as new evidence emerges, with tools such as circulating tumor DNA blood tests still being studied for their ability to predict recurrence but not yet recommended for routine monitoring.
Updated Guideline: Breast Cancer Follow-Up & Surveillance
New recommendations feature a risk-based approach to care, offering virtual or in-person visits, routine mammography, & tailored surveillance for high-risk patients.
Read the updated guideline: https://t.co/2Mhx2NK9qT pic.twitter.com/RbKa529iWR
— ASCO (@ASCO) August 26, 2026
RELATED: How To Reduce the Risk Of A Breast Cancer Recurrence
Questions To Ask Your Doctor
If you have a breast cancer screening coming up or have recently had one, you may have questions you want answered. SurvivorNet’s proprietary AI tool “My Health Questions” is designed specifically for patients and caregivers.
WATCH: How One Cancer Survivor and Her Sister Used “My Health Questions” to Navigate Care
This powerful resource is embedded throughout SurvivorNet’s website and delivers structured responses grounded in clinical guidelines and medically reviewed research to help people better understand their treatment options and feel more confident navigating care.
My Health Questions can also help patients prepare useful questions ahead of their next appointment.
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
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