Hormone Therapy for Prostate Cancer: Important Things to Know

The prostate is a small walnut-sized gland that produces seminal fluid in men. The seminal fluid nourishes and transports sperms. The prostate serves several purposes besides producing the fluid that nourishes and transports sperms. It also secretes Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA), a protein that aids in the retention of the liquid state of sperm and aids in urine control. 

Prostate Cancer

One in every eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer at some point in their lives. However, only one in every 41 of these will perish as a result. This is due to the fact that treatment is effective, particularly in the early stages. Doctors can detect many cases of prostate cancer treatment before they spread, thanks to routine screening. 

Symptoms of prostate cancer include difficulty urinating, but there are times when there are no symptoms at all. Some forms of prostate cancer spread slowly. There are many treatments available to treat prostate cancer and it is curable if detected in its early stages.

In this particular article, we shall see how hormone therapy has proven useful in treating prostate cancer in recent times. Let us understand what hormone therapy is:

– Hormone therapy for prostate cancer is a treatment that inhibits the production or entry of the male hormone testosterone into prostate cancer cells.

– The majority of prostate cancer cells rely on testosterone to grow. Prostate cancer cells die or grow more slowly as a result of hormone therapy.

– Hormone therapy for prostate cancer may include medications or surgical removal of the testicles.

– Androgen deprivation therapy is another name for hormone therapy for prostate cancer.

These are just a few of the points that explain how hormone therapy is useful and help in treating prostate cancer. Hormone therapy for prostate cancer works by preventing your body from producing testosterone, which fuels the growth of prostate cancer cells. Throughout your cancer treatment, your doctor may recommend hormone therapy for prostate cancer for a variety of reasons. Hormone therapy can be used to treat the following conditions:

– To shrink cancer and slow tumor growth in advanced (metastatic) prostate cancer. This may also relieve signs and symptoms.

– If the Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) level remains high or begins to rise after treatment for prostate cancer.

– To improve the efficacy of external beam radiation therapy for cancer in reducing the risk of recurrence in patients with locally advanced prostate cancer.

– To reduce the risk of recurrence in those who have a high risk of recurrence after initial treatment.

Although this treatment is pretty effective in most cases, it also comes with a lot of side effects. Some of the side effects are listed below:

• Loss of muscle
• A rise in body fat
• Erectile dysfunction
• Bone thinning or weakening
• Hot flashes
• Decreased body hair
• Smaller genitalia
• Fatigue
• Changes in behavior
• Problems with metabolism

You will have to regularly check-up with your doctor and if you are not responding, you may be set up for clinical trials. You may also have to undergo several tests to see how you are responding to hormone therapy.