Hormonal therapy

Hormones are chemicals that travel in the blood and control the activity or growth of certain cells. Some cancer cells need hormones to grow. Hormonal therapy is treatment that adds, blocks or removes hormones to slow or stop the growth of cancer cells that need hormones to grow.

Hormonal therapy changes hormone levels in the body. There are 3 ways to change hormone levels:

remove the gland or organ that makes the hormone
treat the gland or organ with radiation to destroy hormone-producing cells
take hormones or other drugs that interfere with or stop the production of the hormone

Hormonal therapy is often combined with other cancer treatments. Sometimes it’s used before or after other treatments.

Hormonal therapy is also called:

hormone withdrawal therapy
hormone manipulation
endocrine therapy

References

Need more information?

We’re here to help. Tell us what you’re looking for, and an information specialist will email or call you.

500

Name:

Email address:

Phone number:

Postal code:

If you are outside Canada

We can give information about cancer care and support services in Canada only. To find a cancer organization in your country, visit Union for International Cancer Control or International Cancer Information Service Group.