Chemotherapy Biotherapy Certification ONS Practice Testq

What do hormonal therapies primarily target in cancer cells?

1. Cell division rates

2. Enzymes essential for DNA synthesis

3. Microtubule assembly

4. Cell membrane permeability

The correct answer is: Enzymes essential for DNA synthesis

Hormonal therapies primarily target specific hormone receptors present on cancer cells to inhibit their growth. These therapies are particularly effective in cancers that are hormone-dependent, such as breast and prostate cancer. By interfering with the action or production of hormones like estrogen or testosterone, hormonal therapies can slow down or stop the growth of tumors that are fueled by these hormones. In terms of the other options, while cancer cells do involve various processes such as cell division, DNA synthesis, and microtubule dynamics, hormonal therapies specifically do not target these aspects directly. Instead, they focus on the hormonal pathways that may be driving cancer cell proliferation. Thus, the primary aim of hormonal therapies is to disrupt the hormonal signals that encourage the cancer cells to grow and multiply.