How Does Hormonal Therapy Treat Prostate Cancer?

How Does Hormonal Therapy Treat Prostate Cancer?

Hormone therapy is an option for many men
with Prostate Cancer, but it’s used in different ways depending on whether your
cancer has spread to other parts of the body.

Hormone therapy is also known as Androgen
Deprivation Therapy (ADT) or Androgen Suppression Therapy. The objective is to
reduce the levels of male hormone called androgens in the body, or to stop them
from affecting prostate cells.

Androgens are essential for normal growth
and function of the prostate, a gland in the Male Reproductive System that
helps make semen. Androgens stimulate prostate cancer cells to grow. The main
Androgens in the body are Testosterone and Dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Androgens
help the growth of both normal and cancerous prostate cells by binding to and
triggering the androgen receptor, a protein that is found in prostate cells.
Once activated, the androgen receptor stimulates the expression of specific
genes that cause prostate cells to grow.

Most prostate cancer cells will rely on
testosterone to help them grow. Hormone therapy causes prostate cancer cells to
expire or to grow more slowly. Hormone therapy for prostate cancer may entail
medications or perhaps surgery to remove the testicles.

When
is Hormone Therapy used?

Hormone therapy may be used:

• Along with radiation therapy as
  initial treatment if you are at higher risk of cancer coming back after
  treatment (based on a high Gleason score, PSA level, and/or growth of cancer
  outside the prostate)
• Before radiation to try to
  shrink the cancer to make the treatment more effective and safe
• If cancer has spread too far to
  be cured by surgery or radiation, or if you can’t have these treatments for some
  other reason
• If cancer remains or comes back
  after treatment with surgery or radiation therapy

Types
of Hormone Therapy

There are three main ways to have Hormone
Therapy for Prostate Cancer.

• Tablets to obstruct the effects
  of testosterone
• Implants or Injections to
  prevent your testicles from making testosterone
• Surgery to remove the testicles
  or the sections of the testicles that create testosterone. The removal of
  testicles is called an Orchiectomy surgery

The type you have, will depend on your own
choice, whether your cancer has spread, and any other treatments that you’re
undergoing. You can undertake more than one type of Hormone Therapy at the same
time.

How
does Hormone Therapy work?

Hormone therapy can work out in two ways –
one, by stopping your body from making the hormone Testosterone, and the other by
stopping the Testosterone from reaching the Prostate Cancer Cells. However,
Hormone therapy alone may not be enough to treat your Prostate Cancer. If you
have hormone therapy by itself, the treatment will target to manage your cancer
and stop or deal with any symptoms. Hormone therapy can also be used with other
treatments, such as Radiotherapy, to make them more successful.