What is the benefit of hormone treatment for prostate cancer?

Relatively recently modern medicine has turned its gaze on the hormones. No exception in this and Oncology. Hormone therapy for prostate cancer based on the removal of male sex hormones of the male body. Noticed that prostate cancer is growing strongly under the influence of testosterone and related hormones. Hormonal treatment of prostate cancer and based on that would be to suspend the production of male hormones or to stop their appearance forever.

It is worth noting that hormone therapy cannot cure prostate cancer, but only to stop its further growth.

There are also prostate cancer cells are not sensitive to hormonal drugs, and in this case, hormonal therapy medicines are completely useless. In addition, over time, mutated cells are not sensitive to this therapy and cease to respond to hormone treatment, but still give several years life it can. During this time significantly increases the effectiveness of other treatment methods for prostate cancer such as radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Fades painful symptoms of prostate cancer.

Who shown?

Usually hormone therapy is appointed:

1. Hormone therapy can be given to patients who have marked disease recurrence after prior another treatments;
2. Older people — psychologically easier to adapt some specific aspects of hormone treatment;
3. The spread of the tumor beyond the prostate gland and presence of metastases;
4. After the surgery, to achieve better results and hormonal treatment noticeably stops the growth of cancer cells that it is appropriate in the postoperative period, especially in the presence of metastases in other organs and systems;
5. Before prostatectomy;
6. Before the radiation therapy;
7. To monitor the status of the tumor;

Hormone therapies

The main types of hormone therapy for prostate are orchiectomy and treatment of hormonal drugs. Most often used drugs in the form of tablets and injections. But also hormone therapy can be combined with a surgical operation to remove the testicles (testes).

Drug therapy

• Medical castration, using drugs that prevent the development of gonadotropic hormones, in this case testosterone;
• Drugs inhibiting the production of testosterone. As a result of insufficient consumption of testosterone tumor is shrinking or growing very slowly. To these drugs are lupron -- of gecelerin and triptorelin, which are usually once ina month or even less frequently;
• Estrogen therapy is used drugs on the basis of female sex hormones which act in the opposite direction in contrast to testosterone and this stops the growth of tumor cells of the prostate. Unfortunately, this method has some serious side effects and increases the risk of developing complications, so rarely used. Besides, he's less efficient than modern methods antiandrogenic therapy;

Hormone therapy in the treatment of prostate cancer is used mainly in the form of intermittent therapy. Since the use of the same form of drugs is fraught with unpleasant consequences. These medicinal substances have a number of side effects, and therefore adopted this tactic, which minimizes complications and side effects. If hormone treatment does not find a positive response in the patient, the doctor the right to try another method of hormone therapy before moving on to more radical methods.

Orchiectomy

Orchiectomy is a surgical castration. The testicles produce the lion's share of the hormone testosterone in the male body and the removal of the testes is one type of hormone therapy for prostate cancer.

If orchiectomy significantly reduces the amount of male hormones the body and this method is used for the refusal of medical castration or intolerance hormonotherapy drugs.

Modern therapy resorts to this method very often, because removal of the testes reduces the concentration of testosterone half, and the further a man's life is affected quite negatively. Most often this method is used in elderly patients.

Side effects

Therapy hormonotherapy drugs has its side effects:

1. An increase in breast glands;
2. Sensation of heat, alternating with chills;
3. Decreased sex drive or impotence;
4. Decrease in muscle mass;
5. The development of diabetes;
6. Disorders of the gastrointestinal and glands;
7. Memory impairment;
8. Weakness and lethargy;
9. Obesity;
10. Increases the risk of thrombophlebitis;

It is worth considering that the side effects are not in all patients. Well-chosen therapy hormonal therapy give a good effect in the treatment of prostate cancer, but, unfortunately, do not cure it. Only timely diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer can significantly slow its progression and to give several years of a full life.