According to the National Cancer Institute, endocrinology is a branch of medicine that specializes in diagnosing and treating disorders of the endocrine system, which includes the glands and organs that make hormones. There are a number of Cancer Center at Illinois scientists who are experts in the endocrine system— studying the glands that produce hormones and the role they play in cancer. Endocrine, or hormone, therapies are commonly used as a breast cancer treatment. Though these treatments can be productive at targeting cancer cells, they can have other adverse health effects. Many researchers seek to improve endocrine therapies to improve the overall long-term outcomes for cancer patients.
