What is Hormone Therapy or Hormone Treatment?
In coordinating different functions in a human body, hormones play a very crucial role. Glands that secrete hormones release them into the bloodstream, sending messages through blood to organs. A human body can not function well without these hormones. However, some of these hormones can fuel cancerous cells if present in the body and these cancer cells also need hormones to grow and divide. Here comes the role of hormone therapy, where a doctor arranges such therapy that works by eliminating cancerous cells’ access to the hormones they need to grow.
Hormone therapy can also be combined with chemotherapy or immunotherapy or radiation therapy to ensure the most effective end results.
What Actually Happens in Hormone Therapy for Cancer Treatment?
This therapy works by many ways and the healthcare provider may use different methods to make the therapy successful like:-
- Making the body stop producing hormones that can fuel the growth and division of cancerous cells.
- In some cases, a doctor may even remove the glands that produce these hormones.
- Block access to the hormones that cancerous cells need to grow and multiply.
- Even though certain hormones do act like a fuel for the growth of cancer cells, at the same time the body does need these hormones for other crucial functions of the body as well. So, in order to achieve both the balanced functioning of the body and the cut- off of the fuel for cancerous cells, doctors provide the patient with artificial hormones made in laboratories known as bioidentical hormones.
The cancerous cells could not use these bioidentical hormones for growth and multiplying and thus they do not get the right environment to nourish and grow and the other body functions also do not get affected.
What Type of Cancers Does Hormone Therapy Treat?
Hormone therapy is particularly used to treat prostate and estrogen dependent cancers that include breast cancer, ovarian cancer and uterine cancer. So, here are the briefs of these cancers, their hormonal therapy medications and the side effects that they bring along:-
Prostate Cancer
Define
Hormone therapy for prostate cancer typically uses different medications that block hormones from connecting with cancerous cells.
Medications
- Abiraterone acetate: This helps in the inhibition of the androgens in the body. Androgens not only help the prostate to grow and nourish but also help in the growth of prostate cancer cells as well. ASo, it is important to inhibit the secretion of androgens in the body to stop the growth of cancer cells in the prostate.
- Luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) agonists: It helps in the inhibition of the testosterone in the body, as this hormone helps in the growth and multiplication of the cancer cells.
- Antiandrogens: Like luteinizing hormones, antiandrogens reduce how much testosterone people produce.
Side effects
- Weight gain.
- Less or loss of interest in sex.
- Erectile dysfunction.
- Loss of bone density (osteoporosis.)
Breast Cancer
Define
Hormone therapy for breast cancer mostly involves inhibiting the production of estrogen in the body to not fuel the growth and dividing of cancer cells in the breast.
Medications
- Aromatase inhibitors
- Selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERM)
- Estrogen receptor down regulators (ERDS)
Side effects
- Joint pain or stiffness.
- Fatigue.
- Nausea and vomiting.
- Weight gain
- Less or loss of interest in sex.
- Hot flashes.
- Tender or swollen breasts.
Uterine Cancer
Define
In uterine cancer, healthcare providers use hormone therapy after surgery done to remove cancer tissues from the uterus to treat advanced or recurrent uterine cancer, or as palliative care to ease uterine cancer pain.
Medications
- Progestin, drugs that work like the hormone progesterone, slows down the growth of the cancer cells in the uterus. It is the most common hormone therapy used to treat uterine cancer.
- Tamoxifen
- LHRH agonists
- Aromatase inhibitors
Side effects
- Hot flashes.
- Vaginal dryness.
- Osteoporosis
- Joint and muscle pain.
Ovarian Cancer
Define
For ovarian cancer, hormone therapy is used to treat a rare form of it.
Medications
The healthcare providers commonly use luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonists including:-
- LHRH agonists
- Tamoxifen
- Aromatase inhibitors.
Side effects
- Hot flashes.
- Weight gain.
- Night sweats.
Does hormone treatment/ Therapy stop the spread of cancer?
YES! Hormone therapy plays a very significant role in stopping or minimizing the spread of cancer in the body or other parts of the body from the infected part. The key role it plays is cutting off the supply of the hormones that were continuously providing the nutrition, energy and environment to the cancer cells to grow. As the supply is not any more present for the cells to grow, they do not get divided and spread at a rapid speed. This therapy is best for hormone dependent cancers like ovarian or breast cancer, etc., and after skin cancer screening of the patient, the doctor, if they find out that the cancer is hormonally fueled, starts the hormonal therapy as soon as possible to reduce the spread of the cancer cells.
As the editor of the blog, She curate insightful content that sparks curiosity and fosters learning. With a passion for storytelling and a keen eye for detail, she strive to bring diverse perspectives and engaging narratives to readers, ensuring every piece informs, inspires, and enriches.
