Side Affects After Hormone Therapy From Prostate Cancer

Hormone therapy for prostate cancer is known as androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) or androgen suppression therapy. The goal of ADT is to reduce male hormones called androgen's from the body. Testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) are the androgen's that circulate throughout the body. The testicles are the major producer of these androgen, which are needed to stimulate the growth of prostate cancer cells. The primary purpose of hormone therapy is to lower the levels of androgen thereby promoting the reduction of cancerous cells, reduce the rate of growth and to shrink the cancer. Hormone therapy however does have side affects that some may consider severe.

Types of Hormone Therapy

• Hormone therapy types are numerous, some more popular and preferred than others. One type of radical hormone therapy is a surgical procedure to remove the testes known as surgical castration. By this method, 90 percent of androgen production may be eliminated. By removal of the testes, most prostate cancer stops growing and may even shrink.

  Specialty drugs known as luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) analogs, when used, have the same affect of castration, without the surgery. These types of medications also cause castration but are referred to as chemical castration. They are given by intra muscular injection every three or four months. These LHRH analogs go by different names but all perform the same task, reducing androgens.

Side Affects

• As with most all other medications, LHRH analogs have side affects and the severity of these affects depends greatly on the bodies' tolerance to support it and the LHRH analog that is used. Regardless, side affects are common to all hormone therapies used for prostate cancer.

  They include impotence, general body pain, breast tenderness, hot flashes and sweating. These side affects are very common and can be bothersome. Some medications may help these affects, such as using acetaminophen (Tylenol). If impotence becomes an issue, discuss with the physician if erectile dysfunction medication may be right for you.

Long Term Side Affects

• The affects of long-term usage of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) analogs are more serious than the occasional aches and pains and even those hot flashes that come and go without notice. Long-term affects require medical attention because they are highly bothersome and in some cases may cause depression as well.

  Long term use is defined by when symptoms appear, not some date on the calendar. Weight gain is a side affect that happens while you are on therapy but can be controlled by exercise and diet. Adjusting and accepting that cancer is present, requires a lifestyle change to maintain a healthy weight.

Other Long Term Side Affects

• Loss of memory for some is by far one of the worst side affects of hormone therapy and sadly, it does not improve while undergoing LHRH analog therapy. Keep a small pocket size notebook handy. This will enable writing important items, dates and times of things that need not be forgotten. Feeling of upset and cheated is a common reaction to memory loss. Speak with your physician if this particular side affect is disruptive to your everyday life.

  Bone pain is yet another troublesome side affect. There are medications that can be prescribed to relieve the pain. These drugs are known as bisphosphonates. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) suggests that these drugs only be used when a secondary cancer is present and therefore recommends common over-the-counter pain relievers to control the bone pain. The physician and a 1 to 10 scale on rating the pain will be the most important factor in determining which medication should be used.

Some Final Words

• All side affects associated with luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) analogs must be communicated to your physician. Another side affect that is closely monitored by the physician, are for those persons older than 65 with previous heart problems. This is especially true if weight gain is another one of the side affects.

  Cancer Help, a leading organization that provides up to date information, states that persons older than 65 are at risk of dying from heart failure. Ttaking hormone therapy for more than six months can make a heart attack worse, especially if weight gain is also one of the symptoms.