How Can Hormone Therapy be Beneficial For Prostate Cancer?
Hormone therapy has become a very popular treatment option for patients with prostate cancer. The basis of hormone therapy is that it prevents the body from producing testosterone. Some other forms of hormone therapy may also work by stopping the testosterone molecules from reaching the cancer cells.
Prostate cancer cells grow and multiply faster when they have a steady supply of testosterone to feed them. When the testosterone is blocked off, the cancer cells shrink, even if they have spread to surrounding body parts.
It is imperative that you understand that hormone therapy alone cannot cure prostate cancer; the treatment is most effective when coupled with others such as radiotherapy.
Who Can Have Hormone Therapy?
Localized Prostate Cancer
Localized prostate cancer, also known as early-stage prostate cancer is often benefited from hormone therapy. It helps shrink the prostate cells and the cancer they carry inside. Continuing hormone therapy along with other forms of treatment also makes it easier for the oncologist to treat the cancer.
Locally Advanced Prostate Cancer
In patients wherein cancer has spread just outside the prostate region, hormone therapy may be prescribed during or after radiotherapy. It makes the treatment more potent.
Some people also have hormone therapy in this stage if the oncologist deems radiotherapy or surgery too risky a procedure.
Metastatic Prostate Cancer
Hormone therapy becomes a lifelong treatment for people whose prostate cancer has metastasized to other parts of the body. The effectiveness of the treatment depends on how aggressively the cancer flourishes in the patient. Hormone specialists treat advanced cases with the aim of relieving symptoms.
Recurrent Prostate Cancer
If cancer relapses in a patient after a localized bout, hormone therapy is one of the treatments that will be made available to you.
What are the Different Types of Hormone Therapy?
Injections and Implants
Injections shoot up a small amount of drug under your skin or right into the muscle. Most injections are administered in the arm, thighs, buttocks, or abdomen.
Implants, on the other hand, are tiny pellets that are placed under the skin of the abdomen.
LHRH Agonists
LHRH (Luteinizing Hormone-Releasing Hormone) agonist works by causing the body to release a greater amount of testosterone for an initial short period, following which it begins targeting the body’s production. Doctors often prescribe anti-androgen tablets to help with the initial flare-up.
GnRH Antagonists
GnRH (Gonadotrophin Releasing Hormone) antagonists are different from LHRH in the sense that they diminish testosterone levels right from the first dose. GnRH antagonists are mostly used to bring about quick relief from bone pain and other symptoms.
Tablets
Anti-androgen tablets prevent testosterone from reaching the cancerous cells. These tablets are preferred to be taken with other treatments. They are also less likely to cause bone thinning and sexual problems. However, they may cause swelling of breasts and tenderness.
Advantages of Hormone Therapy
Hormone therapy is an effective means of controlling prostate cancer, even after it has metastasized (spread) to a different area of the body.
Treatment can be undergone alongside other forms like chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
Hormone therapy helps alleviate specific symptoms of advanced prostate cancer like urinary problems and bone pain.
Disadvantages of Hormone Therapy
Hormone therapy comes with several side effects that have an adverse impact on your daily life.
Hormone therapy, on its own, cannot be used to cure prostate cancer. Instead, it is used to keep cancer under control.
BHRT for Patients of Prostate Cancer Undergoing Hormone Therapy
Research has found that testosterone supplementation using Bio-identical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT) is beneficial in prostate cancer patients who have undergone radical prostatectomy. BHRT can grant comfort from fatigue, brain fog, low libido, and hot flashes. You can now book a virtual visit or telemedicine appointment with us at (405) 528-1936.
**Disclaimer: This content does not aim to provide any medical advice nor does it constitute or prescribe any doctor-patient relationship.