Prostate Cancer Hormone Therapy
Hormone therapy is used to reduce or suppress the production of androgens (hormones) in the body of a person suffering from prostate cancer. Therefore this therapy also called Androgen Deprivation Therapy. Androgens stimulate the growth of prostate cancer cells. However, prostate cancer cannot be cured through the hormone therapy, but it will reduce the speed of cancer cells.
When Hormone Therapy is used?
Hormone therapy for the prostate cancer treatment can be employed in the following situations:
- When the prostate cancer has occurred again after the radiation therapy or surgery.
- When the patient cannot go through the radiation therapy or surgery or the cancer is spread outside the prostate and cannot be treated by these therapies.
- Before performing the radiation therapy or surgery hormone therapy is used for the effective performance of these treatments.
- As the initial treatment when the patient is suffering from the high risk of prostate cancer.
Methods for the Hormone Therapy Administration
Hormone therapy, known as the androgen deprivation, can be administered through the following methods:
- Castration: In this method, testosterones are removed, which is produced by the testicles. Orchiectomy, LHRH antagonists and LHRG antagonists are used in this method to remove the testosterones. Castration reduces the 95% of testosterone production in a male body.
- Estrogen: It is rarely used for the prostate cancer because it has shown some side effects related to the cardiovascular problems.
- Anti-androgens: This method is effective to stop the interaction of testosterone with the prostate cancer cells though testosterone can circulate within the body.
- Combined Androgen Blockade: This is the combined use of anti-androgens and castration, which blocks the way for the hormone to enter into the prostate.
Side Effects of Hormone therapy
The different methods of hormone therapy affect the hormone levels, so the changes in estrogen and testosterone have some side effects. The major side effects of hormone therapy include:
- Impotence
- Anemia
- Hot flashes
- Weight gain
- Breast tissue growth
- Reduced sexual desire
- Decreases sharpness of mind
- Increased cholesterol
- Fatigue
- Depression
Many of the side effects of hormone therapy can be treated and prevented. For instance, antidepressants can be used to treat the hot flashes and radiation treatment for the breast enlargement. Counseling and antidepressants are used to treat the depression. Regular exercises also can be helpful to treat the side effects like weight gain, fatigue, loss of muscle.
Hormone therapy is usually reserved for the patients who are suffering from the advanced prostate cancer and when the cancer has spread outside the glands. It is also used to the patients who are not able to go through the radiation therapy and surgery. It is studied that the use of hormone therapy for the prostrate cancer treatment is not more than 10%. It may be because hormone therapy is helpful to reduce the growth of cancer and not to cure it.
