What is Hormonal Therapy?

Some cancer cells are driven by hormone stimulation. The body’s normal hormones interact with receptors on the surface of the cell membrane and send signals to the interior nucleus, telling it to divide and grow. Hormone therapy is actually Anti-Hormone therapy, which decreases that signaling pathway.

Sometimes that is done by

-Blocking the receptor with a pretend hormone, which does not send those signals to the nucleus. E.g. . Tamoxifen in Breast Cancer, which is a Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulator, or SERM for short. This does not decrease circulating Estrogen levels, and does not take away the beneficial estrogen effect on the bones.

-Decreasing production of some hormones, e.g. production of Estrogen by inhibiting the enzymes that are necessary for the final step in the production. This decreases circulating estrogen levels and also affects other organ systems which benefit from estrogen, e.g. bones

-Decreasing testosterone levels, to decrease Prostate Cancer cell growth. This is done at multiple levels, both at the endpoint of testosterone production, and at the pituitary level, to decrease the signal to produce testosterone. This is called Total Androgen Blockade. This does deprive the body of androgens levels, which are necessary for libido, blood production, and bone density.