Prostate Cancer Treatment: Hormone & Radiation Therapy

Hormone therapy and radiation therapy are two of the most commonly used treatments for prostate cancer. Radiation therapy is an option when the cancer is still contained within the prostate area, while hormone therapy is a recommended treatment for advanced prostate cancer. The cancer is considered advanced when it has spread beyond the prostate to other parts of the body.

Radiation Therapy

• Radiation therapy---also called external beam radiation therapy---uses high-energy X-rays to kill cancer cells. According to the Mayo Clinic, this method of treatment has been used for decades and produces good long-term results.

Hormone Therapy

• Prostate cancer must have male hormones---such as testosterone---in order to grow. Hormone therapy reduces the body's production of these hormones and slows the growth of the cancer.

Types of Hormone Therapy

• There are two ways to reduce the body's production of male hormones: surgical removal of the testicles that produce the hormones, and taking drugs specifically designed for that purpose.

Estrogen Therapy

• The female hormone estrogen also reduces the body's production of male hormones. Estrogen therapy was once considered the standard treatment for prostate cancer but is rarely used today.

Combined Hormonal Approach

• Some men use a combination of hormone therapy and radiation to treat advanced prostate cancer.