Why would hormone therapy be recommended?
Hormone therapy is mostly used to treat certain kinds of breast cancer and prostate cancer that depend on sex hormones to grow. A few other cancers can be treated with hormone therapy, too. Hormone therapy is considered a systemic treatment because the hormones they target circulate in the body.
What happens to your body when you take 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.
Which types of cancer are often treated with hormone therapy?
Breast and prostate cancers are the two types most commonly treated with hormone therapy. Most breast cancers have either estrogen (ER) or progesterone (PR) receptors, or both, which means they need these hormones to grow and spread.
Is hormone therapy same as chemotherapy?
Hormone therapy is used to block hormones or their actions. Hormone replacement therapy, which is not a cancer treatment, is when hormones are given to replace the ones the body no longer makes to treat menopause-related symptoms.
When does a woman need hormone replacement therapy?
Hormone replacement therapy is medication that contains female hormones. You take the medication to replace the estrogen that your body stops making during menopause. Hormone therapy is most often used to treat common menopausal symptoms, including hot flashes and vaginal discomfort.
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.
Can cancer spread while on hormone therapy?
Adjuvant hormonal therapy is given after the patient has received surgery, radiation therapy or chemotherapy. Given after treatment, hormones decrease the risk of cancer recurring or spreading.
Does hormone therapy get rid of cancer?
Hormone therapy is a cancer treatment that slows or stops the growth of cancer that uses hormones to grow. Hormone therapy is also called hormonal therapy, hormone treatment, or endocrine therapy.
When is hormone therapy recommended for cancer?
Hormones help certain types of breast, prostate, and some other cancers to grow. If you have one of them, your doctor may recommend hormone therapy to slow the cancer's growth or stop it from spreading.
Which is better hormone therapy or chemotherapy?
Contrary to the commonly held view, 2 years after diagnosis, hormone therapy, a highly effective breast cancer treatment worsens quality of life to a greater extent and for a longer time, especially in menopausal patients. The deleterious effects of chemotherapy are more transient.
How long does hormone therapy take?
You may be offered hormone therapy for up to six months before radiotherapy. And you may continue to have hormone therapy during and after your radiotherapy, for up to three years. Some men might have hormone therapy on its own if radiotherapy or surgery aren't suitable for them.
How long does hormone therapy take to start working?
It may take a few weeks to feel the effects of treatment and there may be some side effects at first. A GP will usually recommend trying treatment for 3 months to see if it helps. If it does not, they may suggest changing your dose, or changing the type of HRT you're taking.