Final answer:
Hormone therapy is selective for cancers expressing ER+, HR+, or BRCA1-2+ because these cancers have hormone receptors sensitive to hormone manipulation. Other types of cancers lack these receptors and do not respond to such treatments, which is why they are not targeted with hormone therapy.
Step-by-step explanation:
Hormone therapy adjuvant agents are only given to ER+, HR+, or BRCA1-2+ types of female reproductive cancers primarily because these cancers have cells that contain hormone receptors which can respond to hormone manipulation. This is crucial in the treatment of these cancers, as hormone therapy can effectively block or diminish the cancer's ability to use hormones for growth and spread. The most accurate statement explaining why hormone therapy is selective is:
d. Other types of cancers lack hormone receptors.
Cancers that do not express these receptors do not rely on hormones for their growth, hence hormone therapy would not be effective. It's not a matter of allergies to hormone-based treatments or side effects—rather, it's a question of targeting the specific biological pathways that contribute to cancer progression.
For example, the drugs that target the estrogen receptor are beneficial to patients whose cancers express a lot of the estrogen receptor in their tumors, allowing these medications to help prevent the cancer cells from receiving the signals they require to grow.