Starving the Fuel: Understanding Hormone Therapy
Hormone therapy is a treatment that prevents certain cancers from using your body’s natural hormones to grow. It essentially "starves" the cancer cells of the fuel they need.
Please remember that every patient is unique; your consultant and medical team are the best judges of the most suitable treatment plan for your specific case.
In our bodies, hormones act as chemical messengers. They control how we grow and how our organs function. However, some types of cancer—most commonly breast and prostate cancers—are "hormone-sensitive."
This means the cancer cells have learned to use your body's own hormones (like oestrogen or testosterone) as a source of energy. Without these hormones, the cancer cells struggle to grow or survive. Hormone therapy is the process of either lowering the levels of these hormones or blocking them from reaching the cancer.
The petrol analogy
To understand hormone therapy, imagine the cancer is like a car engine that is running out of control.
The hormones are the petrol that keeps the engine running and the car moving forward.
Hormone therapy isn't about destroying the engine itself; it is about cutting off the fuel supply. When you stop the petrol from reaching the engine, the car eventually slows down and stops. Similarly, when we "starve" the cancer of its hormonal fuel, the tumour can shrink or even stop growing entirely. It is a highly effective way of controlling cancer over a long period.
A different kind of treatment
It is important to note that hormone therapy is very different from chemotherapy.
While chemotherapy is a "cytotoxic" treatment (it kills cells directly), hormone therapy is often "cytostatic" (it prevents cells from multiplying). Because it only affects cells that are sensitive to hormones, it does not typically cause the same side effects as chemotherapy, such as hair loss. It is often taken as a simple daily tablet or a small injection, making it easier to manage as part of your daily routine.
A long-term commitment
Hormone therapy is often a "marathon, not a sprint." Because it is designed to keep the cancer "starved" of fuel, treatment usually lasts for several years.
Daily Tablets: Most patients take a pill once a day at the same time.
Injections: Some treatments are given as an injection at your GP surgery or hospital every month or every few months.
Consistency: The most important part of this treatment is taking it exactly as prescribed to keep your hormone levels stable.
Understanding the changes
Because this treatment changes your body’s hormone balance, it can feel like going through a "temporary pause" or a "second puberty." Common side effects include:
Hot flushes: Feeling suddenly warm, similar to what women experience during menopause.
Joint aches: Mild stiffness in the hands or knees.
Mood changes: Feeling a bit more emotional or tired than usual.
Important: These symptoms are signs that the medicine is working and effectively lowering your hormone levels. If they become bothersome, your doctor has many simple ways to help you manage them.
Control and confidence
Hormone therapy is one of the most successful treatments in modern medicine. By understanding how to manage the "fuel" in your body, you and your medical team can keep the cancer under control for many years, allowing you to focus on living your life.
