Hormonal therapy
What is it?
Hormonal therapy is made to stop the action of some hormones on certain cancerous cells in order to slow down the cancer progression. It is a general treatment that acts on the entire body.
All cancers don’t react the same way to hormonal therapy.
Prostate cancer is a hormone sensitive cancer, meaning that the growth of cancerous cells is stimulated by a specific male hormone: testosterone.
To treat non metastatic prostate cancer, hormonal therapy can be used alone or combined with other treatment (surgery, radiotherapy ...).
What are the indications for hormonal therapy?
If lymph nodes are affected by the cancer, the doctor can suggest hormonal therapy after surgery. It is a treatment that complements the surgical treatment, called an adjuvant treatment. Hormonal therapy can also be associated with external radiotherapy (option) to improve the efficacy of the treatment.
Hormonal therapy can be done before (neoadjuvant), during (concomitant) or after radiotherapy.
Hormonal therapy can be continued for 3 months to 3 years after external therapy.
Hormonal therapy is the first line of treatment when a prostate cancer has metastasis.
In what consists hormonal therapy?
There are different methods of hormonal therapy, but their mechanisms of action are all based on the same principle: prevent certain hormones to act on cancerous cells in order to slow down the tumor growth. It consists in blocking the production or the action of the male hormone produced by the testies: testosterone. This blockade can be done in many different ways. A surgical treatment can be suggested to remove testicular tissue that secretes testosterone. Either the external wall of the testicle is conserved (pulpectomy) or the whole testicle is taken out (orchidectomy).
Another type of hormonal therapy consists in giving a medication that competes with testosterone, blocks its action. These medications are called anti androgens.
A hormonal therapy can also consists in administering a substance that will block a hormone at the origin of testosterone production: LHRH hormone. This hormone is secreted by the hypothalamus, a gland situated at the base of the brain that stimulates the testicular function.
Another type of hormonal therapy consists in giving a medication that competes with testosterone, blocks its action. These medications are called anti androgens.
A hormonal therapy can also consists in administering a substance that will block a hormone at the origin of testosterone production: LHRH hormone. This hormone is secreted by the hypothalamus, a gland situated at the base of the brain that stimulates the testicular function.
What are the common side effects of hormonal therapy?
Hormonal therapy is a general therapy that acts on the entire body. That is why some side effects can appear during the treatment: hot flushes, painful swelling of the breasts, nausea and vomiting.
The doctor can prescribe medications to decrease the side effects. Sexual side effects are also common, such as decrease libido and impotence, but they vary from one patient to the next. You should not hesitate talking about it with your physician. Certain medications have specific side effects that will be explained by the physician.
