Hormone Therapy for Intermediate-Risk (Teal) Prostate Cancer | Prostate Cancer Staging Guide

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07/07/23

PCRI’s Executive Director, Mark Scholz, MD, talks about hormone therapy (TIP) as a standalone treatment for men with the Teal stage of prostate cancer. He compares it with other treatments, gives an overview of the side effects, and describes cases where it should be considered.

0:31 Hormone therapy or TIP is typically given in conjunction with radiation therapy for prostate cancer. This is typically a short course of 4-6 months. It is a reasonable consideration to take hormone therapy alone as a treatment. Prostate cancer regresses when there is no testosterone. Its side effects are reversible. But TIP is not considered to be curative whereas other treatments can cure the disease. This is the main reason it is not recommended commonly.

1:55 The side effects are different from surgery and radiation. Loss of sex drive is almost guaranteed while on the treatment, which can go on for up to a year. Other side effects include weight gain, fatigue, loss of muscle, osteoporosis, but these are correctable with medication and certain activities, such as exercise. These all go away when the treatment is stopped. This contrasts with other treatments that can have permanent side effects. Hormone therapy can put the disease into remission for years, this can give time for treatment technology to improve, and control the disease effectively.

3:20 In small studies done at Prostate Oncology Specialists, about half of the men who underwent a course of TIP were cancer free after 5-7 years with no further treatment. Men with smaller tumors and lower Gleason scores were more likely to respond in this manner.

4:00 Candidates for primary TIP. It is a good option for men who do not want to risk impotence or erectile dysfunction. Elderly patients are also good candidates because the treatment is noninvasive and comparatively convenient.

5:01 Hormone therapy should be considered as an option for men with intermediate-risk prostate cancer. It has a different set of side effects and can be a better choice in some circumstances than other forms of treatment for prostate cancer.

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