Hormone treatments may be used to treat prostate cancer as an alternative to surgery and other traditional treatments, or in combination with other therapies. Hormone therapy has not been proven to cure prostate cancer, but it may be effective in slowing cancer growth and shrinking cancer already present in the prostate. Hormone therapy treatments may include medication taken orally, injected or as implants. In some cases, surgery to inhibit hormone production may be recommended.
Hormone Inhibitors
Testosterone is linked to prostate cancer growth and hormone inhibitors are used to slow testosterone production. The medication may be administered as implants several times a year, injections one or twice a month, or as pills daily.
Surgical Hormone Treatment
Orchiectomy is the removal of one or both testicles to prevent testosterone production. The operation is an outpatient procedure and side effects after an orchiectomy may be more severe than with other prostate cancer hormone treatments.
Combination Therapy
Hormone therapy does not cure prostate cancer. It is often used in conjunction with radiation, chemotherapy, and surgery to help prevent cancer from coming back, or to improve the quality and quantity of life in men with prostate cancer.
Side Effects
The severity of side effects with hormone treatment depends on how long the treatments last. Side effects may include breast growth, weight gain, osteoporosis, anemia, impotence, muscle loss, depression and fatigue.
Long-Term Hormone Therapy
A 2006 study on hormone therapy for prostate cancer from the Cleveland Clinic Cancer Center suggests an improved survival rate for short-term hormone therapy patients in comparison to long-term treatment. Short-term or intermittent hormone treatment may lessen side effects as well.
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