Hormonal Therapy
What is Hormone Therapy?
Hormone therapy is a type of cancer treatment that blocks or changes hormones in the body.
Some cancers use hormones to grow. For example:
- Many breast cancers grow with estrogen or progesterone
- Prostate cancer grows with male hormones (androgens)
Hormone therapy helps slow down or stop these cancers by blocking the hormones they need.
You may also hear it called:
- Hormone therapy
- Hormonal therapy
- Endocrine therapy
How Is Hormone Therapy Different?
Hormone therapy is a systemic treatment, which means it affects the whole body.
- The medicine travels through the bloodstream
- It looks for and blocks hormones everywhere in the body
This is different from local treatments like:
These only treat one area of the body.
How Is Hormone Therapy Given?
Hormone therapy can be given in different ways:
- Pills you swallow
- Shots (injections) into a muscle or under the skin
- Surgery to remove organs that make hormones
- Women: ovaries may be removed
- Men: testicles may be removed
How Does It Work?
Hormone therapy changes the amount or activity of hormones in your body.
This can:
- Slow down cancer growth
- Stop cancer from spreading
It works best for cancers that have hormone receptors (meaning the cancer uses hormones to grow).
It can be used to:
- Treat early-stage cancer
- Help prevent cancer from coming back
- Treat advanced or spreading cancer
What Are the Side Effects?
Because hormones affect many parts of the body, changing them can cause side effects.
Common side effects include:
- Mood changes
- Hot flashes
- Lower sex drive
- Trouble with sexual function (impotence)
- Feeling very tired
- Weak or thinning bones
- Breast tenderness or growth
- Weight gain
- Diarrhea
Side effects vary from person to person and depend on the type of treatment.
How Do Doctors Know If It’s Working?
Doctors use tests to check how well the treatment is working.
For example:
- Blood tests to check hormone levels
- Imaging tests (like mammograms, MRIs, or ultrasounds) to look at tumors
- PSA tests for men with prostate cancer
If hormone levels go down and tumors shrink, the treatment is working. If not, your doctor may adjust your treatment.
Talking With Your Doctor
Talk with your oncologist about whether hormone therapy is right for you.
- Ask about the benefits and risks
- Read information about your specific medication
- Ask questions about how to take it and what side effects to expect
Your doctor or nurse can help you understand your options and guide your care.