Hormonal Therapy

Hormonal Therapy is a non-invasive cancer treatment option for patients with breast cancer and prostate cancer, both of which require certain hormones for their growth and development. It may also be used for other types of cancer such as thyroid cancer, adrenal cancer, and uterine cancer. The aim of the therapy is to add hormones that can limit the growth of cancer cells and block those which help them to grow and multiply. Doctors may either recommend the therapy for treating cancer or for palliative purposes. Hormonal therapy can be recommended as the primary treatment modality or in combination with other treatments, depending upon the overall requirement of the patient. 

What is Hormonal Therapy?
Hormone Therapy is a type of cancer treatment that works by altering the production of certain hormones in the body. The modality is specifically recommended for patients with malignancies that are dependent on certain hormones for their growth. These include breast cancer, prostate cancer, thyroid cancer, uterine cancer, neuroendocrine cancers, and tumors of the pituitary glands. Also referred to as endocrine therapy, the treatment can not only help to slow down the growth of malignant cells in the breast and prostate gland, but also helps to alleviate the risks of recurrence. Doctors may also perform hormonal therapy for the effective management of symptoms, especially in patients with prostate cancer, who are not eligible for other treatments. 

How is Hormonal Therapy used against Cancer?
There are several different ways in which hormonal therapy is used against cancer. These are:

• Prior to the surgery, the goal of reducing the size of the tumor. This is commonly referred to as neoadjuvant therapy
• Following some other cancer treatments to alleviate the risks of recurrence 
• For treating recurrent cancer 
• For treating metastatic cancer 

How does Hormonal Therapy work?
There are three different ways in which hormonal therapy works. 

• It prevents our body from producing the hormones that are used as fuel by the cancer cells
• It alters the way in which specific hormones work or behave within the body
• It prevents the hormones from binding the malignant cells together