Hormone Therapy And Bone Cancer: Combination of HRT and Traditional Treatment
According to many reputable sources, hormone therapy can decrease the progression or completely stop bone cancer from spreading. Hormone replacement therapy for bone cancer essentially helps to slow down or discontinue the growth of cancer cells within the bones. This in return, will help to shrink the existing cancer and it also helps to reduce the pain that is associated with the disease.
There are different kinds of hormone therapy for bone cancer. Which type of hormone therapy a person will participate in well depend upon their unique situation.
Hormone therapy for metastatic bone cancer or even secondary bone cancer works by decreasing certain hormones in the body to prevent cancer cells from using them to grow. It has been proven that the only effective way to participate in hormone replacement therapy to help reduce or stop bone cancer is by using injectable medications that are prescribed by a licensed doctor. A prescription is needed for therapy to begin.
Treatment For Hormone Therapy And Bone Cancer
- According to the American Cancer Society:
According to the American Cancer Society, cancer does not usually begin in the bones. It usually begins in the breast(s) or the prostate. If left untreated, it will most often spread to the bones before any other place in the body (this is called metastatic bone cancer). It can be extremely painful and lead to bone breaks, fractures, high levels of calcium in the blood or osteoporosis. Aside from the cancer itself, these conditions can also be very dangerous or even life threatening.
The goal of treatment is to stop the cancer from growing and spreading to the bones. Hormone therapy has proven to be a successful way to stop the spreading of this deadly disease. However, a very important part of treatment for bone cancer is controlling the amount of pain it can cause. Treatment can also stop other complications from occurring.
According to the American Cancer Society, a successful type of hormone treatment for bone cancer is a systemic treatment that affects the entire body. Due to the fact that cancer cells often spread quickly throughout the body from one organ into bones and other places, systemic treatments are used because they can reach and destroy cancer cells all throughout the body.
For instance, systemic hormone therapy for secondary bone cancer is a very common treatment. How does it work? Hormone therapy can control how much of a certain hormone is being produced and stop it from being created. By doing so, systemic hormone therapy reduces how much of the hormone is made and therefore cancer cells cannot use it to grow and spread. Research has shown that the right kind of injectable hormone medication can stop cancer cell growth and shrink tumors.
The bottom line is that when cancer starts in either breast tissue or the prostate, it often spread to the bones. This is when systemic hormone therapy can reach all areas of the body to fight cancer.
- According to Web M.D.:
Hormone therapy works best when weakening of the bones is caused by metastasis. This kind of therapy is then used to reduce bone pain and to diminish high levels of calcium that are found in the bloodstream. Studies have shown that hormone therapy for metastatic bone cancer can slow down and stop bone damage. This will then reduce the risk of bone fractures and bone breaks.
- According to the Mayo Clinic:
Hormone therapy is best for cancer that proves to be sensitive to hormones in the body. In other words, already existing cancer cells will use hormones to grow and spread. These cells these need to be destroyed.
Hormone therapy for bone cancer can abolish these cancer cells by suppressing hormones that help them to thrive. Often times, bone cancer comes from the disease that spreads from the breast or from the prostate.
Hormone therapy may not be able to cure cancer. However, by taking the correct medications to lower natural hormone levels, this can help ease pain and slow the disease from spreading. It can also decrease the size of existing tumors.
A Combination Of Hormone Therapy And Traditional Treatment For Bone Cancer
Many reputable sources will advocate for combination therapy for bone cancer. What does this mean? Combining more traditional methods, such as chemotherapy or radiation along with hormone therapy may give a patient the best chance of survival and a decrease in their symptoms, according to an article written in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
It is often said by experts that hormone therapy for bone cancer will help to ease the symptoms and pain associated with the disease. Often traditional methods need to be added to hormone therapy to kill cancer cells for good and help a person to reach remission.
National HRT Staff
Please note that the information provided in this article is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment.
- Hormone therapy of prostatic bone metastases.Adv Exp Med Biol. 1992;324:305-16. Huben RP
- The Science and Practice of Bone Health in Oncology: Managing Bone Loss and Metastasis in Patients With Solid Tumors Allan Lipton, MD, Robert Uzzo, MD, FACS, Robert J. Amato, MD, Georgiana K. Ellis, MD, Behrooz Hakimian, MD, G. David Roodman, MD, PhD, and Matthew R. Smith, MD, PhD Natl Compr Canc Netw. 2009 Oct; 7(Suppl 7): S1–S30