Fighting weight gain from hormone therapy for prostate cancer Dr. David Samadi October 24, 2019 A powerful tool for fighting advanced prostate cancer is androgen deprivation therapy (ADT).
Full Answer
Does hormone therapy for prostate cancer cause weight gain?
New Insight on Weight Gain After Prostate Cancer Therapy. Study Shows Weight Gain After Hormone Therapy May Level Off After a Year of Treatment. From the WebMD Archives. March 14, 2011 -- Many men with prostate cancer will get treatments to block male hormones like testosterone in an effort to keep their cancer from spreading.
Can hormone therapy alone cure prostate cancer?
Lowering androgen levels or stopping them from getting into prostate cancer cells often makes prostate cancers shrink or grow more slowly for a time. But hormone therapy alone does not cure prostate cancer. When is hormone therapy used? Hormone therapy may be used:
Can group exercise help men on hormone therapy for prostate cancer?
Study shows group exercise and nutrition program prevents fat gain and strength loss. FULL STORY. Men on hormone therapy for prostate cancer may benefit significantly from hitting the gym with fellow patients and choosing more veggies and fewer cheeseburgers, a new study suggests.
What is the best treatment for prostate cancer recurrence?
Hormone therapy used alone is the standard treatment for men who have a prostate cancer recurrence as documented by CT, MRI, or bone scan after treatment with radiation therapy or prostatectomy.
How can I avoid weight gain during hormone therapy for prostate cancer?
Study shows group exercise and nutrition program prevents fat gain and strength loss. Summary: Men on hormone therapy for prostate cancer may benefit significantly from hitting the gym with fellow patients and choosing more veggies and fewer cheeseburgers, a new study suggests.
Does hormone therapy for prostate cancer make you gain weight?
Hormone treatment can also cause you to put on weight (fat). This is usually around your waist. Hormone treatment can also make you feel tired and this can make you less active. This can then make the weight gain worse, as you might be less active.
How do you fight the side effects of hormone therapy for prostate cancer?
Exercise may help reduce some of the side effects of hormone therapy, including bone loss, muscle loss, weight gain, fatigue, and insulin resistance (20, 32). Several clinical trials are examining whether exercise can reverse or prevent side effects of hormone therapy for prostate cancer.
How can I lose weight while on hormone blockers?
Some ways to lose weight include:Count calories.Calories should be in the form of nutritious foods, such as fruits and vegetables, not sweets, alcohol, or white bread.Avoid or limit alcohol.Get moving – try to exercise for at least an hour on four days of the week, more if this is possible.More items...•
Can prostate cancer spread while on hormone therapy?
In 85% to 90% of cases of advanced prostate cancer, hormone therapy can shrink the tumor. However, hormone therapy for prostate cancer doesn't work forever. The problem is that not all cancer cells need hormones to grow. Over time, these cells that aren't reliant on hormones will spread.
Can you build muscle while on hormone therapy for prostate cancer?
This includes jumping and hopping exercises. A properly-designed exercise program can reduce fat build-up, increase lean muscle mass, reduce fatigue and promote bone strength in men taking hormone therapy. A team of Australian researchers in Perth are world-leaders in exercise medicine for men with prostate cancer.
What is life expectancy for hormone cancer for prostate?
Historically, all these patients on hormone therapy develop hormone resistance after an average of 18 to 24 months[2] and their prognosis has been stated to be dismal with a median survival of 12 to 18 months.
Why is hormone therapy not recommended?
Known health risks include: An increased risk of endometrial cancer (only if you still have your uterus and are not taking a progestin along with estrogen). Increased risk of blood clots and stroke. Increased chance of gallbladder/gallstone problems.
What are the negative effects of hormone therapy?
Hormone therapy side effects can include vaginal dryness, discharge, itching, or irritation. It can also cause changes to the menstrual cycle and cause vaginal bleeding that is not related to a period. Hot flashes and night sweats. Hot flashes are very common for people receiving hormone therapy.
Why does hormone treatment cause weight gain?
While some believe that HRT causes weight gain, there's no conclusive evidence to prove it. There's also no proof that HRT encourages weight loss. Hormone replacement therapy boosts the levels of hormones lost during menopause. There is no evidence that HRT leads to weight gain or weight loss.
How do you lose hormonal weight gain?
Additionally, improving dietary choices, increasing physical activity, getting more sleep, managing stress levels effectively, quitting smoking, and limiting alcohol are all ways to decrease and avoid hormonal weight gain.
How does hormonal therapy affect body weight?
Hormone replacement therapy has no effect on body weight and cannot prevent weight gain at menopause. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is used to reduce the symptoms of menopause and bone loss after menopause. Some women decline to take HRT because they believe it causes weight gain.
What are male sex hormones?
Hormones are substances that are made by glands in the body. Hormones circulate in the bloodstream and control the actions of certain cells or...
How does hormone therapy work against prostate cancer?
Early in their development, prostate cancers need androgens to grow. Hormone therapies, which are treatments that decrease androgen levels or blo...
What types of hormone therapy are used for prostate cancer?
Hormone therapy for prostate cancer can block the production or use of androgens ( 4 ). Currently available treatments can do so in several wa...
How is hormone therapy used to treat hormone-sensitive prostate cancer?
Hormone therapy may be used in several ways to treat hormone-sensitive prostate cancer, including: Early-stage prostate cancer with an intermediate...
How will I know that my hormone therapy is working?
Doctors cannot predict how long hormone therapy will be effective in suppressing the growth of any individual man’s prostate cancer. Therefore, men...
How is castration-resistant prostate cancer treated?
Treatments for castration-resistant prostate cancer include: Complete androgen blockade —that is, androgen receptor blockers ( flutamide , bical...
What is intermittent ADT?
Researchers have investigated whether a technique called intermittent androgen deprivation can delay the development of hormone resistance. With in...
What are the side effects of hormone therapy for prostate cancer?
Because androgens affect many other organs besides the prostate, ADT can have a wide range of side effects ( 4 , 27 ), including: loss of intere...
What can be done to reduce the side effects of hormone therapy for prostate cancer?
Men who lose bone mass during long-term hormone therapy may be prescribed drugs to slow or reverse this loss. The drugs zoledronic acid (Zometa...
How much exercise did the men in the study do before cancer?
Before the study, all of the men were sedentary, exercising less than an hour a week in the previous six months.
Does suppressing testosterone cause cancer?
But it comes with a cost. Suppressing male hormones, including testosterone, that fuel cancer growth also means that patients lose strength and muscle mass and gain fat. And that puts the men at risk for other health problems, including heart disease and diabetes.
Does hormone therapy help with prostate cancer?
Study shows group exercise and nutrition program prevents fat gain and strength loss. Men on hormone therapy for prostate cancer may benefit significantly from hitting the gym with fellow patients and choosing more veggies and fewer cheeseburgers, a new study suggests. Men on hormone therapy for prostate cancer may benefit significantly ...
Can men on hormone therapy have cheeseburgers?
Men on hormone therapy for prostate cancer may benefit significantly from hitting the gym with fellow patients and choosing more veggies and fewer cheeseburgers, a new study suggests.
How much weight gain is associated with androgen deprivation therapy?
Now a new study shows that the weight gain -- about 9 pounds, on average -- associated with a form of hormone therapy called androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) appears to level off after the first year of treatment.
How many people gained weight on ADT?
Half were white, 42% were African-American, and 8% came from other races. A majority of men on ADT, 70%, gained weight -- an average of about 9 pounds per person. But 26% of men lost an average of 5 pounds each after starting ADT, and 4% saw no weight change.
Does prostate cancer cause hot flashes?
March 14, 2011 -- Many men with prostate cancer will get treatments to block male hormones like testosterone in an effort to keep their cancer from spreading. There are several recognized side effects associated with those therapies, including hot flashes, loss of interest in sex, erectile dysfunction, bone loss, mood changes, ...
How much exercise did the men in the study do before cancer?
Before the study, all of the men were sedentary, exercising less than an hour a week in the previous six months.
Can men on hormone therapy have cheeseburgers?
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Men on hormone therapy for prostate cancer may benefit significantly from hitting the gym with fellow patients and choosing more veggies and fewer cheeseburgers, a new study suggests.
Is androgen deprivation good for prostate cancer?
Androgen deprivation therapy is a powerful tool against prostate cancer, and more and more men are opting for the treatment as a growing array of hormone-based therapies become available. But it comes with a cost.
Is exercise good for prostate cancer?
While this isn’t the first study to show that exercise is good for prostate cancer patients and survivors, it is the first to employ this type of group approach and one of the first to also focus on diet, said Focht, also an investigator at Ohio State’s Comprehensive Cancer Center.
What is the most common treatment for prostate cancer?
Treatments that reduce androgen production by the testicles are the most commonly used hormone therapies for prostate cancer and the first type of hormone therapy that most men with prostate cancer receive. This form of hormone therapy (also called androgen deprivation therapy, or ADT) includes:
How do androgens help prostate cells grow?
Androgens promote the growth of both normal and cancerous prostate cells by binding to and activating the androgen receptor, a protein that is expressed in prostate cells ( 1 ). Once activated, the androgen receptor stimulates the expression of specific genes that cause prostate cells to grow ( 2 ).
What does it mean when your PSA is high?
An increase in PSA level may indicate that a man’s cancer has started growing again. A PSA level that continues to increase while hormone therapy is successfully keeping androgen levels extremely low is an indicator that a man’s prostate cancer has become resistant to the hormone therapy that is currently being used.
What hormones are released when androgen levels are low?
Normally, when androgen levels in the body are low, the hypothalamus releases LHRH. This stimulates the pituitary gland to produce luteinizing hormone, which in turn stimulates the testicles to produce androgens. LHRH agonists, like the body’s own LHRH, initially stimulate the production of luteinizing hormone.
What hormones block androgen production?
block androgen production (synthesis) throughout the body. Androgen production in men. Drawing shows that testosterone production is regulated by luteinizing hormone (LH) and luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (L HRH). The hypothalamus releases LHRH, which stimulates the release of LH from the pituitary gland.
What does LHRH do to the testicles?
LHRH agonists, like the body’s own LHRH, initially stimulate the production of luteinizing hormone. However, the continued presence of high levels of LHRH agonists actually causes the pituitary gland to stop producing luteinizing hormone. As a result, the testicles are not stimulated to produce androgens.
What is the procedure to remove testicles?
This form of hormone therapy (also called androgen deprivation therapy, or ADT) includes: Orchiectomy, a surgical procedure to remove one or both testicles. Removal of the testicles, called surgical castration , can reduce the level of testosterone in the blood by 90% to 95% ( 5 ).
What are the drugs that help prostate cancer grow?
Anti-androgens. For most prostate cancer cells to grow, androgens have to attach to a protein in the prostate cancer cell called an androgen receptor. Anti-androgens are drugs that also connect to these receptors, keeping the androgens from causing tumor growth.
What hormones are used to remove testicles?
Estrogens (female hormones) were once the main alternative to removing the testicles (orchiectomy) for men with advanced prostate cancer. Because of their possible side effects (including blood clots and breast enlargement), estrogens have been replaced by other types of hormone therapy.
What is the goal of hormone therapy?
The goal is to reduce levels of male hormones, called androgens, in the body, or to stop them from fueling prostate cancer cells. Androgens stimulate prostate cancer cells to grow. The main androgens in the body are testosterone ...
What does CSPC mean in prostate cancer?
Castrate-sensitive prostate cancer (CSPC) means the cancer is being controlled by keeping the testosterone level as low as what would be expected if the testicles were removed (called the castrate level ).
Can LHRH antagonists cause prostate cancer?
LHRH antagonists can be used to treat advanced prostate cancer. These drugs work in a slightly different way from the LHRH agonists, but they lower testosterone levels more quickly and don’t cause tumor flare like the LHRH agonists do. Treatment with these drugs can also be considered a form of medical castration.
Can prostate cancer cause pain in the spine?
Men whose cancer has spread to the bones may have bone pain. Men whose prostate gland has not been removed may have trouble urinating. If the cancer has spread to the spine, even a short-term increase in tumor growth as a result of the flare could press on the spinal cord and cause pain or paralysis.
Is prostate cancer permanent?
It is probably the least expensive and simplest form of hormone therapy. But unlike some of the other treatments, it is permanent, and many men have trouble accepting the remo val of their testicles.
What is the treatment for prostate cancer?
Not so long ago, the only hormonal treatment for this disease was drastic: an orchiectomy, the surgical removal of the testicles.
How does hormone therapy work for prostate cancer?
Hormone therapy for prostate cancer works by either preventing the body from making these androgens or by blocking their effects. Either way, the hormone levels drop, and the cancer's growth slows. " Testosterone and other hormones are like fertilizer for cancer cells," Holden tells WebMD.
What are the chemicals that stop the production of testosterone in the testicles?
Here's a rundown of the techniques. Luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonists (LHRH agonists.) These are chemicals that stop the production of testosterone in the testicles. Essentially, they provide the benefits of an orchiectomy for men with advanced prostate cancer without surgery.
How long does it take for prostate cancer to go away?
On average, hormone therapy can stop the advance of cancer for two to three years. However, it varies from case to case. Some men do well on hormone therapy for much longer.
How long can men live after radiation?
Researchers found that adding just six months of hormone therapy to radiation allowed the men to live longer. Researchers are also studying the effects of hormone therapy earlier in treatment, for instance right after or even before surgery. The Future of Hormone Therapy for Prostate Cancer.
Can LHRH cause cancer?
In some cases, starting treatment with an LHRH agonist can cause a "tumor flare," a temporary acceleration of the cancer's growth due to an initial increase in testosterone before the levels drop. This may cause the prostate gland to enlarge, obstructing the bladder and making it difficult to urinate.
Can hormones help with prostate cancer?
Hormone therapy for prostate cancer does have limitations. Right now, it's usually used only in men whose cancer has recurred or spread elsewhere in the body. But even in cases where removing or killing the cancer isn't possible, hormone therapy can help slow down cancer growth. Though it isn't a cure, hormone therapy for prostate cancer can help ...
What happens after prostate cancer treatment?
After treatment of prostate cancer, if the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level remains high or starts rising. In locally advanced prostate cancer, to make external beam radiation therapy more effective in reducing the risk of recurrence. In those with a high risk of recurrence after initial treatment to reduce that risk.
Where is prostate cancer located?
Prostate cancer occurs in the prostate gland, which is located just below the bladder in males and surrounds the top portion of the tube that drains urine from the bladder (urethra). This illustration shows a normal prostate gland and a prostate with a tumor.
What is the effect of luteinizing hormone releasing hormone?
Certain medications — known as luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) or gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists and antagonists — prevent your body's cells from receiving messages to make testosterone. As a result, your testicles stop producing testosterone. Medications that block testosterone from reaching cancer cells.
Can you get hormone therapy after an orchiectomy?
Orchiectomy is usually performed as an outpatient procedure and doesn't require hospitalization. Typically, no additional hormone therapy is required after orchiectomy.
Can hormone therapy be used for prostate cancer?
Your doctor may recommend hormone therapy for prostate cancer as an option at different times and for different reasons during your cancer treatment. Hormone therapy can be used: In advanced (metastatic) prostate cancer to shrink the cancer and slow the growth of tumors, which also might relieve signs and symptoms.
Can hormone therapy be adjusted?
Depending on your circumstances, you may undergo tests to monitor your medical situation and watch for cancer recurrence or progression while you're taking hormone therapy. Results of these tests can give your doctor an idea of how you're responding to hormone therapy, and your therapy may be adjusted accordingly.
Does testosterone help prostate cancer?
Most prostate cancer cells rely on testosterone to help them grow. Hormone therapy causes prostate cancer cells to die or to grow more slowly. Hormone therapy for prostate cancer may involve medications or possibly surgery to remove the testicles. Hormone therapy for prostate cancer is also known as androgen deprivation therapy.
What is the best treatment for prostate cancer?
Androgen-deprivation therapy , more commonly known as hormone therapy, is one of the most powerful weapons in the fight against prostate cancer because it significantly reduces the fuel supply that is feeding malignant growth.
What is the role of androgens in prostate cancer?
Androgens, the family of male sex hormones that includes testosterone, function as a fuel for growth — a quality that explains their central role in both normal development and prostate cancer.
How much testosterone is needed for prostate cancer?
For men, normal testosterone levels range from 300 to 1,000 ng/dl. The FDA requires that any new drug used in hormone therapy for prostate cancer lower testosterone levels to 50 ng/dl or less. In my practice, I usually try to lower levels even further, to 20 ng/dl.
How many men have prostate cancer?
An analysis of 98 men with prostate cancer that had spread to the lymph nodes, who were randomly assigned to receive immediate hormone therapy or to forgo it until the disease spread further to bones or lungs, found that early treatment saved lives.
What causes a gynecomastia?
gynecomastia (breast enlargement and tenderness; occurs only with certain types of hormone therapy) osteoporosis (bone erosion that may cause fractures; only with long-term use) weight gain, loss of muscle mass. fatigue, anemia. changes in blood cholesterol and blood glucose measurements.
Where do prostate cancer cells migrate?
If prostate cancer cells escape the prostate, they migrate first to surrounding structures, such as the seminal vesicles and lymph nodes, and later to the bones or, rarely, to other soft tissues. Hormone therapy is recommended as a palliative treatment, to relieve symptoms such as bone pain.
When was hormone therapy first used?
First developed in the 1940s, based on studies by Dr. Charles Huggins and other researchers at the University of Chicago, hormone therapy produced such dramatic early results that investigators thought they had found a way to cure prostate cancer.
How to control weight after cancer treatment?
They can help you work out what is best for you. Exercise guidelines for cancer patients. Physical activity also helps to control your weight. You don’t have to go to the gym, you can build it into your life.
How do hormones affect weight?
How do sex hormones affect weight and muscle? As we get older we lose muscle strength. Hormone treatment which lowers testosterone levels can also cause loss of muscle bulk in men. It can lead to: loss of muscle mass (sarcopenia) loss of muscle strength (dynapenia)
How to maintain muscle mass?
Exercise, muscle mass and weight gain. Changing your diet and being more physically active may help you to maintain your normal weight. Physical activity can help to maintain muscle strength, but it needs to be a combination of aerobic and resistance exercise. Aerobic exercise is any exercise that makes your heart and lungs work faster ...
Does hormone therapy lower testosterone?
Weight and muscle changes can be a side effect of hormone therapy for prostate cancer that lowers sex hormone (testosterone) levels.
Can hormones cause weight gain?
loss of muscle strength (dynapenia) Hormone treatment can also cause you to put on weight (fat). This is usually around your waist. Hormone treatment can also make you feel tired and this can make you less active. This can then make the weight gain worse, as you might be less active. Coping.
Do you have to go to the gym to get cancer?
You don’t have to go to the gym, you can build it into your life. For example, you could get off the bus the stop before you need to, do some gardening or join a walking group. Some hospitals organise exercise sections for cancer patients. Ask your specialist nurse if this is available.
Does prostate cancer need testosterone?
Prostate cancer needs testosterone to grow. Hormonal treatments aim to: stop the testicles from making testosterone. stop testosterone reaching cancer cells. Find out more about hormone therapy for prostate cancer.