Written by Bernie Riley, PCFA General Manager of Supportive Care Programs

Hormone therapy, otherwise known as Androgen Deprivation Therapy (ADT), is a group of medicines used to reduce the male sex hormone (androgens) testosterone and commonly used to treat prostate cancer.

Testosterone is important for the development of male sexual organs, including the prostate, and libido (or sex drive) and other masculine features like an increased muscle and bone mass and body hair. Most of this testosterone is produced in the testes and a smaller proportion in the adrenal glands which sit above the kidneys.

In men with prostate cancer, testosterone also causes prostate cancer cells to grow and spread, and so depriving prostate cancer cells of testosterone is important to slow growth and reducing risk of cancer spreading and reduce some symptoms caused by the cancer. Hormone therapy may also over a number of weeks reduce your PSA levels and offer long term control of the cancer by limiting the amount of testosterone available to prostate cancer cells wherever they are in the body.

People seeking any further information could call PCFA’s Telenursing Service on 1800 22 00 99 to chat with the team about their options. We’re here to help!

There are different types of hormone therapy:

Many men with prostate cancer may be on one or a combination of hormone therapy, delivered in oral and/or injection form.

It’s important that you speak with your urologist or treating doctor about what options you are eligible for.

What are the side effects?

Men on hormone therapy may experience a wide range of side effects. Sometimes these can be minor or for other men, they may be more frequent and distressing.

Common possible side effects are:

After stopping hormone therapy, some side effects may diminish with time, but sometimes the side effects never go away.

Recovery from hormone therapy side effects after stopping treatment will depend on your age, the type of hormone therapy you were on, whether you were on a short course of hormone therapy over a few months or a longer course over several years, and whether the hormone therapy was continuous or intermittent.

How can I manage side effects I’m experiencing?

The good news is, there is support available and ways that you can reduce the impact of many side effects. PCFA’s Telenursing team is here to support you through it. We’ve provided some tips for the most common side effects, and some ideas for improve general physical health and wellbeing.

If you need support, please reach out to PCFA’s Telenurses on 1800 22 00 99. We can also provide a referral to PCFA’s Counselling Service.

Loss of libido and sex drive

For some men, hormone can result in tiredness, reduced energy and changes in your physical appearance such as weight gain, and/or shrinkage of your testicles. All of these things can result in reduction or loss of sexual desire. As a result, some men experience lower confidence and self-esteem, which can also impact relationships. To help navigate any changes to your sex drive, it’s important to talk about it. Don’t go through it alone. You can chat with your healthcare team, or with a psychologist or sex therapist/counsellor (including PCFA’s Counselling Team).