What is hormone therapy?
The goal of hormone therapy is to lower the level of male hormones in the body, particularly testosterone. Hormone therapy does not cure the cancer, and is often used to treat persons whose cancer has spread or recurred after treatment.
Produced mainly in the testicles, testosterone causes prostate cancer cells to grow. Thus, reduced testosterone levels can make the prostate cancer shrink and become less active. Most studies show that hormone therapy works better if it is started early.
What are the types of hormone therapy?
There are several types of hormone therapy, including the following:
- orchiectomy - the surgical removal of the testicles to prevent male hormones from stimulating further growth of the prostate cancer.
- LHRH (luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone) analogs - drugs that decrease the amount of testosterone produced in a man's body by interfering with the normal chemical signals sent from the pituitary gland in the brain to the testicles. Drugs include Lupron®, Viadur®, Eligard®, Zoladex®, and TrelstarTM.
- anti-androgens - substances that block the body's ability to use testosterone, because even after orchiectomy or LHRH-analog treatment, a small amount of testosterone may still be produced in the body. Other hormonal drugs may be used for periods of time during treatment. Drugs include Eulexin®, Casodex®, and NilandronTM
Other hormonal drugs may be used for periods of time during treatment.
What is the duration of hormone therapy?
The duration of hormone therapy varies, but usually lasts a period of a few months, depending on the case. Research presented at the 2000 American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting suggests that long-term hormone therapy (an additional two years) for those men who have locally advanced prostate cancer may control the disease better than short-term hormone therapy. Consult your physician for additional information regarding hormone therapy treatment.