Hormonal Therapy
What is Hormonal Therapy?
Hormones are chemicals produced by certain glands in the body, such as the ovaries and testicles. In some cases, hormones cause some types of cancer cells to grow, such as breast cancer and prostate cancer. For most patients, hormonal therapy involves taking medications that interfere with the activity of the hormones or stop the production of the hormones.
Hormonal therapy is sometimes given before a primary cancer treatment to help kill cancer cells and contribute to the effectiveness of the primary therapy. This is called neoaduvant therapy. If hormonal therapy is given after the primary cancer treatment, it is called adjuvant therapy. This type of therapy is typically given to improve the chance of a cure.
Hormonal therapy is also often given to shrink cancers that have spread or otherwise control the rate of their spread. If hormonal therapy is effective, patients often live longer with a better quality of life.
Hormonal therapy is available for patients at Redwood Regional Medical Group. Please consult you medical oncologist to learn if this treatment is appropriate for your situation.