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Hormone Therapy
One treatment for prostate cancer is androgen-deprivation therapy, also called hormone therapy. Androgens, the family of male sex hormones that includes testosterone, fuel the growth of prostate cancer. Stopping the body from making these hormones can, for a time, stop the growth of prostate cancer. But hormone therapy isn’t for everyone, and it can cause some bothersome, even serious, side effects such as hot flashes, decreased libido, erectile dysfunction, osteoporosis (thinning of bones), fatigue, weight gain, loss of muscle mass, anemia, and changes in blood cholesterol and glucose levels.
Hormone therapy is an option for men with prostate cancer when:
• cancer has spread beyond the prostate
• cancer is confined to the prostate but doctors want to boost the effectiveness of radiation therapy or shrink a tumor before brachytherapy (seed therapy, a type of radiation)
• PSA begins to rise after treatment with surgery or radiation therapy, an indication that cancer may have recurred.
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Read more »Hormone therapy doesn’t seem to raise risk of cardiac death
Prostate cancer drug treatments that block the activity of hormones have been associated with a higher risk of heart attack and heart disease. But a 2009 study suggests that these drugs may not cause cardiovascular problems after all.
Read more »Continuous vs. intermittent hormone therapy (IHT): No survival difference
Given the beneficial effects and the lack of a survival difference, intermittent hormone therapy may be a preferred regimen for men with advanced prostate cancer.
Read more »Hormone therapy: How long should it last?
A European study finds that mortality is higher among men who pursue hormone therapy for just six months. But the study was conducted in men with relatively large tumors, not small, early-stage tumors, the kind found most often in American men.
Read more »Can hormone therapy cause muscle loss?
I am currently undergoing hormone therapy with leuprolide (Lupron) injections to shrink an enlarged prostate. I believe I’ve noticed some muscle loss. Is this possible?
Read more »Avoiding complications of anti-androgens: A patient’s story
Sixty-five-year-old George Lincoln* never suspected that anything was wrong. Aside from some of the typical side effects of hormone therapy for his prostate cancer, such as fatigue, occasional hot flashes, mild weight gain, and a loss of libido, he felt okay. He didn’t have abdominal pain, nausea, jaundice, or any other symptoms that might indicate a potentially life-threatening problem.
Read more »Questioning hormone therapy as a primary cancer treatment for older men
Given the possible side effects of hormone therapy, such as bone loss, fractures, diabetes, and heart trouble, clinicians might want to think twice before prescribing hormone therapy as the primary cancer treatment for older men with early-stage disease.
Read more »Hormone therapy for prostate cancer puts heart at risk
A study by Boston researchers found that hormone therapy may increase risk of death from heart disease, especially among patients who have had prostate surgery.
Read more »Intermittent hormone therapy: A patient’s story
The jury is still out on whether intermittent hormone therapy, which involves repeated cycles of hormone therapy followed by breaks in treatment, might help patients live longer than continuous hormone therapy. But Patrick Kirby’s story might help patients who are debating various options in hormone therapy.
Read more »Possible complications of hormone therapy
Three Harvard-affiliated physicians discuss the impact that hormone therapy can have on bones and cardiovascular health.
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