Prostate Cancer And Hormone Treatment

Prostate cancer and hormone treatment to address this disease is one approach some have taken. The idea with this type of treatment is to decrease the production of testosterone that could stimulate the cancerous prostatic cells.

These cancerous prostatic cells causes the disease to worsen. And with its reaction to the male androgenic hormone – testosterone – the spread of these cancer cells will be hastened. Prostate cancer and hormone treatment for this disease, looks at this angle of testosterone production and the stimulating effect of testosterone on the cancerous cells.

Prostate cancer and hormone treatment to control this disease means to deprive the cancerous cells of testosterone either by the use of medications or by surgical removal of the testes. If one opts for the latter, he will undergo orchiectomy or commonly called castration. With this, control of prostate cancer and hormone treatment effectiveness is hoped upon. The testes is after all the main source of the production of testosterone. Without the hormone, the cancerous cells will have no stimulus to act upon.

The other way to approach the control of prostate cancer and hormone treatment as a means to do so - as was mentioned earlier, is by way of medication. One may take what is called the anti-androgenic drugs that will block the effects of testosterone over the prostate. Another drug called the LH-RH agonists could also be taken, which would block the release of LH-RH signal from the brain. LH-RH (luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone) will normally travel from the brain to the testes to signal it to produce more testosterone. Blocking this will help control the production of testosterone.

The method of controlling prostate cancer and hormone treatment to do it, will have some side effects. These include hot flashes, weight gain, vomiting, fertility loss, loss of sexual drive, and impotence. Some may be temporary, but others are of permanent nature.

Hormone treatment may not be effective in all cases. There are tumors that are called androgen-independent prostate cancers – and thus, these thrive even without testosterone. Also, these hormone treatment of prostate cancer are usually applied for those who already have prostate cancer with local spread.

This procedure is also applicable for those who refuse to undergo surgical procedures as radical prostatectomy, which removes the entire prostate gland. If one may not wish to undergo radiation treatment, either by means of radioactive seed implants or by external radiation process – then hormone treatment may be the way to go.

Hormonal treatment for your prostate cancer have some degree of effectiveness in controlling the cancer. And like any other form of treatment, it has side effects that go with it. In the end, its all about the decision you, your love-ones, and your doctor has come up with, that makes the prostate cancer solution acceptable.