Hormonal therapy and chemotherapy are usually set aside for cancer which has spread beyond the prostate, or in other words, is malignant. Here we look at hormone therapy.
Prostate cancer cells require particular hormones, known as androgens, in order to grow. With hormone therapy, the goal is to get these cancerous cells barred from getting androgen hormones.
One form of hormone treatment employs drugs for preventing the body from producing testosterone. For instance, some medications block the production of natural hormones. Also there are drugs which block hormone production at localized places. LH-RH agonists, (Leuprolide and Goserelin) for one, are drugs that stop the testicles from making testosterone.
Surgery is another alternative in hormonal treatment. The procedure known as orchiectomy removes the testicles; this permanently reduces production of testosterone. The adrenal gland persists in production of the hormone, however, substances called antiandrogens are then introduced; these block the action of all remaining male hormones. This blend of surgery and antiandrogens is referred to as total androgen blockade.
Hormone treatment can control and delay growth of malignant prostate cancer. It typically slows down the cancer for a number of years. When deprived of hormonal material, cancer cell growth rates of slow down radically. However, most prostate cancers continue to grow even without the occurrence of male hormones.
Like other treatments for prostate cancer, hormone therapy may cause erectile dysfunction. Weakening of your bones is one specific dangerous side effect to be aware of. A protracted hormone treatment reduces bone density, leading to fractures. Some of the other side effects can include diarrhea, hot flashes, nausea, and breast growth.
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