Hormones, hormone receptors and hormone therapy

Hormonal therapy modifies a patient’s hormone production to prevent the spread of cancer. Breast cancer, prostate cancer, endometrial cancer, and adrenal cortex with oestrogen and progesterone receptors can all be treated through Hormonal therapy safely and effectively. Endocrine therapy, hormone therapy, and anti-estrogen therapy are other names for hormonal therapy. Surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, and hormone therapy are frequently used in conjunction with each other. In these circumstances, hormonal therapies are referred to as “adjuvant” therapies.

How hormonal therapy works

Hormonal therapy changes hormone levels in the body. Hormone levels can be changed by:

• removing the gland or organ that makes the hormone
• giving radiation to the gland or organ to destroy hormone-producing cells
• taking hormones or other drugs that interfere with or stop (suppress) the production of the hormone (called hormonal drug therapy)

Types of hormonal therapy

Hormone therapy comes in a variety of forms, and it alters the body’s hormone levels. Usually, hormone therapy is administered in conjunction with other therapies. Several factors, like the type of cancer you have, affect the kind of hormone therapy that is employed.

• Surgery
• Radiation therapy
• Hormonal drug therapy

Getting hormonal therapy

Cancer develops when a cell’s DNA mutates or becomes defective. Targeted therapy drugs are designed to bypass normal cells and zero in on specific targets, which can be mutations on the surface of cancer cells or mutations within the cell. When these drugs reach their target, they may:

• Shut down signals that allow cancer cells to grow
• Prevent cancer cells from making new blood vessels, which feed tumors
• Stop production of hormones that may help tumors grow
• Repair the ability of cells to shut down if they are defective
• Carry radiation or chemotherapy drugs directly to the mutated cell

Hormone Therapies for Breast Cancer Treatment

Several treatment options are available for treating hormone-sensitive breast cancers. Some drugs block the effects of estrogen on the cancer cells in the breast, while others prevent estrogen production altogether.

Hormone Therapies for Prostate Cancer Treatment

Male hormones (called androgens) cause prostate cancer cells to grow. Androgens support a healthy prostate gland; however, they can also promote the growth of cancerous prostate cells.

When using hormone therapy for prostate cancer, the treatment can block the production or use of androgens in one of the following ways:

• By blocking androgen production (synthesis) throughout the body
• By reducing androgen production by the testicles
• By blocking the action of androgens throughout the body