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Cancer Center
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> Hormonal Therapy
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Hormonal Therapy
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Some cancers need hormones to grow. Hormone therapy keeps cancer
cells from getting or using the hormones they need. It is systemic
therapy.
Hormone therapy uses drugs or surgery:
- Drugs: The doctor gives medicine that stops the production of certain hormones or prevents the hormones from working.
- Surgery: The surgeon removes organs (such as the ovaries or testicles) that make hormones.
The
side effects of hormone therapy depend on the type of therapy. They
include weight gain, hot flashes, nausea, and changes in fertility. In
women, hormone therapy may make menstrual periods stop or become
irregular and may cause vaginal dryness. In men, hormone therapy may
cause impotence, loss of sexual desire, and breast growth or tenderness.
Source information:
The Web site of the National Cancer Institute (http://www.cancer.gov)
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