What is hormone therapy?

Hormone therapy (also referred to as androgen deprivation therapy) is a method by which drugs or surgery are used to block the male hormone, testosterone, as a means of controlling prostate cancer growth. Testosterone is a male sex hormone produced mainly in the testicles and is known to cause prostate cancer cells to grow. Greatly reducing (or eliminating) testosterone levels can make the prostate cancer shrink and become less active.

Hormone therapy is used in men with advanced prostate cancer to shrink the cancer and slow the growth of tumors. In men with early-stage prostate cancer, hormone therapy may be used to shrink tumors before radiation therapy. This can make it more likely that radiation therapy will be successful. Hormone therapy is sometimes used after surgery or radiation therapy to slow the growth of any cancer cells left behind. 

Options for Hormone Therapy include:

Medications that stop your body from producing testosterone. Medications known as luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LH-RH) agonists prevent the testicles from receiving messages to make testosterone. Drugs typically used in this type of hormone therapy include leuprolide (Lupron, Eligard,), goserelin (Zoladex), triptorelin (Trelstar), histrelin (Vantas) and degarelix (Firmagon).

Medications that block testosterone from reaching cancer cells. Medications known as anti-androgens prevent testosterone from reaching your cancer cells. Examples include bicalutamide (Casodex), flutamide, and nilutamide (Nilandron). These drugs typically are given along with an LH-RH agonist or given before taking an LH-RH agonist.

Surgery to remove the testicles (orchiectomy). Removing your testicles reduces testosterone levels in your body. The effectiveness of orchiectomy in lowering testosterone levels is similar to that of hormone therapy medications, but orchiectomy may lower testosterone levels more quickly.

Side Effects of Hormone Therapy 

The significantly reduced level (or absence) of testosterone can cause side effects that can affect a man's quality of life. Side effects can include:

• Hot flashes
• Impaired sexual function (erectile dysfunction)
• Loss of sexual desire (libido)
• Loss of muscle and bone mass
• Weight gain
• Increased risk of heart disease and heart attack

We encourage you to contact our Patient Navigator at (678) 843-5665 or rsevy@sjha.org with any questions regarding Hormone Therapy for prostate cancer. We're here to help.

Information on this page is provided collaboratively by the team at the Prostate Cancer Center at Saint Joseph's and has been medically reviewed by Rajesh G. Laungani, MD, 2010. Claims regarding treatment are based on years of clinical experience and industry reported data. The PCC follows American Urological Association and  National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Clinical Practice Guidelines for the treatment of prostate cancer.

Last Updated: October 14, 2010 (RSH)