What Is Hormone Therapy for Cancer?
A plain-language explanation of how hormone therapy slows or stops the growth of cancers that use hormones, based on National Cancer Institute resources.
Source: National Cancer Institute · NCI reviewed 2025-05-15 · Verified 2026-07-02
6 min readBeginnerUpdated 2026-07-02
The 30-second version
Hormone therapy is a cancer treatment that slows or stops the growth of cancers that use hormones to grow, such as some prostate and breast cancers. It works either by blocking the body's ability to make hormones or by interfering with how hormones behave. It is most often used along with other cancer treatments.
Key takeaways
- Hormone therapy slows or stops the growth of cancers that use hormones to grow.
- It is used mainly for some prostate and breast cancers.
- It works by blocking hormone production or by interfering with how hormones behave.
- It is most often used along with other cancer treatments.
- Side effects depend on the type of therapy and whether you are a man or a woman.
- It may be given as pills, injections, or surgery to remove hormone-producing organs.
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The simple version
Hormone therapy is a cancer treatment that slows or stops the growth of cancer that uses hormones to grow. It is also called hormonal therapy, hormone treatment, or endocrine therapy.
Hormone therapy is used for two main reasons:
- To treat cancer. It can stop or slow cancer's growth and reduce the chance it will return.
- To ease cancer symptoms. It may be used to reduce or prevent symptoms in men with prostate cancer who are not able to have surgery or radiation therapy.
Hormone therapy works against cancers that rely on hormones to grow.
The two broad types
Hormone therapy falls into two broad groups:
- those that block the body's ability to produce hormones
- those that interfere with how hormones behave in the body
Which cancers it treats
Hormone therapy is used to treat prostate and breast cancers that use hormones to grow. It is most often used along with other cancer treatments. The types of treatment you need depend on the type of cancer, whether it has spread and how far, whether it uses hormones to grow, and whether you have other health problems.
When used with other treatments, hormone therapy can:
- make a tumor smaller before surgery or radiation therapy (called neoadjuvant therapy)
- lower the risk that cancer will come back after the main treatment (called adjuvant therapy)
- destroy cancer cells that have returned or spread to other parts of your body
Side effects
Because hormone therapy blocks your body's ability to produce hormones or interferes with how hormones behave, it can cause unwanted side effects. The side effects depend on the type of therapy and how your body responds. People respond differently, so not everyone gets the same side effects, and some differ between men and women.
Common side effects for men who receive hormone therapy for prostate cancer include:
- hot flashes
- loss of interest in or ability to have sex
- weakened bones
- diarrhea
- nausea
- enlarged and tender breasts
- fatigue
Common side effects for women who receive hormone therapy for breast cancer include:
- hot flashes
- vaginal dryness
- changes in your periods if you have not yet reached menopause
- loss of interest in sex
- nausea
- mood changes
- fatigue
Side effects vary from person to person and can differ for men and women.
What to expect
How it is given. Hormone therapy may be given as pills you swallow (oral), as an injection (a shot in a muscle or under the skin), or through surgery to remove organs that produce hormones — the ovaries in women, or the testicles in men.
Where you go. Where you receive treatment depends on which therapy you are getting and how it is given. You may take hormone therapy at home, or receive it in a doctor's office, clinic, or hospital.
How it may affect you. Hormone therapy affects people in different ways. How you feel depends on your type of cancer, how advanced it is, the type of therapy, and the dose. Your doctors and nurses cannot know for certain how you will feel.
How you will know if it is working
If you are taking hormone therapy for prostate cancer, you will have regular PSA tests. If the therapy is working, your PSA levels will stay the same or go down. If they go up, this may be a sign the treatment is no longer working, and your doctor will discuss other options with you.
If you are taking hormone therapy for breast cancer, you will have regular check-ups, usually including an exam of the neck, underarm, chest, and breast areas, along with regular mammograms. Your doctor may also order other imaging procedures or lab tests.
Diet
Hormone therapy for prostate cancer may cause weight gain. Talk with your doctor, nurse, or dietitian if weight gain becomes a problem for you.
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- 1Open on a calm title card: "What Is Hormone Therapy for Cancer?" with the Cancer Explained mark.
- 2Narrator reads the 30-second summary while a soft animated diagram builds on screen: "Hormone therapy is a cancer treatment that slows or stops the growth of cancers that use hormones to grow, such as some prostate and breast cancers. It works either by blocking the body's ability to make hormones or by interfering with how hormones behave. It is most often used along with other cancer treatments."
- 3Scene 2: illustrate the idea — "Hormone therapy slows or stops the growth of cancers that use hormones to grow."
- 4Scene 3: illustrate the idea — "It is used mainly for some prostate and breast cancers."
- 5Scene 4: illustrate the idea — "It works by blocking hormone production or by interfering with how hormones behave."
- 6Close on a reminder card: this is educational only; talk with your healthcare team, and a link to the NCI source.
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Quick knowledge check
According to this article, what does hormone therapy do?
Frequently asked questions
â–¸What is hormone therapy for cancer?
Hormone therapy is a cancer treatment that slows or stops the growth of cancer that uses hormones to grow. It is also called hormonal therapy, hormone treatment, or endocrine therapy.
â–¸Which cancers does hormone therapy treat?
Hormone therapy is used to treat prostate and breast cancers that use hormones to grow. It is most often used along with other cancer treatments. The types of treatment you need depend on the cancer, whether it has spread, whether it uses hormones to grow, and your other health problems.
â–¸How does hormone therapy work?
Hormone therapy falls into two broad groups: those that block the body's ability to produce hormones, and those that interfere with how hormones behave in the body.
â–¸How is hormone therapy given?
It may be given in several ways: as pills you swallow (oral), as an injection (a shot), or through surgery to remove organs that produce hormones. In women the ovaries are removed, and in men the testicles are removed.
â–¸What side effects can hormone therapy cause?
Side effects depend on the type of therapy and how your body responds, and some differ for men and women. For men treated for prostate cancer, common side effects include hot flashes, loss of interest in sex, weakened bones, and fatigue. For women treated for breast cancer, they include hot flashes, vaginal dryness, changes in periods, and fatigue.
â–¸How will I know if hormone therapy is working?
If you take it for prostate cancer, you will have regular PSA tests; stable or falling PSA levels suggest it is working, while rising levels may mean it is not. If you take it for breast cancer, you will have regular check-ups, mammograms, and sometimes other imaging or lab tests.
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Questions to ask your healthcare team
Consider bringing these questions to your next appointment.
- Does my cancer use hormones to grow?
- What is the goal of my hormone therapy?
- How will my hormone therapy be given?
- What side effects are common for my situation, and how can I manage them?
- Will I have hormone therapy along with other treatments?
- How will you check whether the treatment is working?
- Could hormone therapy affect my weight or bone strength?
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