Hormonal Treatment Uses and Types – Its Side Effects

Hormonal Treatment and All about It

What is Hormonal Treatment?

Hormonal treatment, also called hormone therapy, endocrine therapy, or hormonal therapy, is a treatment that involves using hormones to treat some types of medical conditions. This treatment can be either used to increase or decrease hormone levels in the human body, based on the conditions being treated. It's commonly used for conditions such as prostate cancer, menopause, and breast cancer.

Uses of Hormonal Treatment

There are many uses of hormonal treatments. Here are the uses of the hormonal treatments.  

1. Uses in Cancer Treatment

• Breast and Prostate Cancer
  Hormone therapy helps treat cancers that rely on hormones to grow, like a few types of breast and prostate cancer. It can either slow or stop these hormone-sensitive tumour growths by blocking the body's down capability to generate hormones or disturbing how hormones affect cancer cells.
• Other Cancers
  Hormone therapy is also used for a few other types of cancer.
• Before or After Other Treatments
  Hormone therapy can be used before surgery to shrink tumours, making them easier to remove, or after other treatments like radiation or chemotherapy to reduce the risk of cancer recurrence.

2. Uses in Menopause

• Reduces Symptoms
  Hormone therapy, often called menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) or hormone replacement therapy (HRT), helps treat the symptoms of menopause, like hot flashes, night sweats, and vaginal dryness.
• Stops Osteoporosis
  A key hormone called Estrogen, often replaced during menopause, helps preserve bone health and can stop osteoporosis.
• Addresses Sexual Dysfunction
  Hormone therapy can also help with sexual dysfunction associated with the menopause, like vaginal dryness.
• Managing Premature or Surgical Menopause
  Women who get menopause before the typical age (e.g., because of surgery or other medical reasons) might get an advantage from hormone therapy to cope with the symptoms and address long-term health complications.  

3. Other Uses

There are many other uses of hormone therapy. Let’s discuss other hormone therapy uses. 

• Hypothyroidism – Hormone therapy helps treat hypothyroidism, which is a condition in which the thyroid gland doesn't generate sufficient thyroid hormone.
• Testosterone Insufficiency – During testosterone deficiency cases, hormone therapy helps in maintaining healthy testosterone levels.
• Diabetes – Hormonal treatments serve in managing diabetes, helping to control the blood sugar levels.
• Reproductive Therapies – Hormonal treatments have uses in different reproductive therapies.
• Chronic Disease Management – Hormonal therapies have an important role in managing a few chronic diseases.

Hormonal Treatment Procedure Steps

There are many steps involved in the hormonal treatment. Let’s discuss the steps involved in the hormonal treatment procedure.

1. Consultation and Assessment

A healthcare professional will check the medical history of the patient, his/her current health status, and the particular condition being treated.

2. Diagnosis and Treatment Plan

Based on the analysis of these things, a diagnosis is made, and a proper treatment plan will be made. The hormonal treatment plan will decide the type of hormone therapy, dosage, and method of administration.

3. Hormone Administration

1. Oral – Hormone therapy can be used orally in the form of pills or tablets.
2. Injection – Hormone therapy Injections can be intramuscular (into the muscle) or subcutaneous (under the skin).
3. Topical – Hormones can also be applied topically, like with skin patches, creams, or gels.
4. Surgical – In a few cases, surgery might be used to clear off the hormone-generating organs such as ovaries or testicles.
    

4. Monitoring and Adjustments

Monitoring regularly is important to evaluate the effectiveness of the treatment and make any needed adjustments for the dosage or administration methods.

5. Managing Side Effects 

Hormonal treatments can have side effects, so healthcare providers will also monitor and manage any side effects. 

Side Effects of Hormonal Treatment

There are many side effects of hormonal treatment.  Here are the side effects of hormonal treatment.

• Hot flashes – These are quick sensations of intense heat, often accompanied by sweating.
• Decreased Sexual Desire – Hormone therapy can impact libido in both men and women.
• Erectile dysfunction – Hormonal treatment can cause trouble in getting or maintaining an erection, which is a common side effect for men.
• Fatigue – Feeling tired or lacking energy is a frequent complaint.
• Weight gain – Hormone therapy can result in weight gain, especially around the abdomen, and decreased muscle mass.
• Bone loss and increased fracture risk – A few hormone therapies could weaken bones, thus increasing the risk of fractures.
• Mood changes – Depression, mood swings, and other emotional changes could also occur.
• Breast tenderness or pain – This is general in women, but it also happens in men as a result of hormone therapy.
• Nausea or vomiting – A few people feel digestive problems.
• Menstrual changes – Irregular bleeding or spotting could happen, particularly in the first few months of continuous combined hormonal treatment.
• Vaginal dryness or discharge – This is general in women.   
• Blood clots – A few hormone therapies could increase the blood clot complications.

What are the types of Hormonal therapy?

Hormone therapy types can be classified into Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) for menopause and hormone therapy for cancer treatment. Within HRT, there are estrogen-only and combined estrogen-progesterone choices, administered through different methods such as pills, gels, patches, or vaginal applications. For cancer, hormone therapy might use aromatase inhibitors, estrogen receptor antagonists, SERMs, LHRH agonists, or surgery to clear off the hormone-generating organs.

1) Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) for Menopause

1. Estrogen-only HRT
   This procedure is used for women who have had a hysterectomy, replacing estrogen to mitigate the menopausal symptoms such as vaginal dryness, hot flashes, and mood changes.
2. Combined HRT
   This procedure combines estrogen and progesterone to safeguard the uterus from the effects of unopposed estrogen, especially in women who still have their uterus.

Delivery Methods

HRT can be used via pills, gels, skin patches, sprays, vaginal creams, or rings.

2) Hormone Therapy for Cancer

1. Aromatase inhibitors (AIs)
   Aromatase inhibitors help block the generation of estrogen, used in breast cancer treatment.  
2. Selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs)
   SERMs bind to estrogen receptors in some tissues, such as breast tissue, while blocking estrogen in others; this is used in breast cancer.
3. Estrogen Receptor Antagonists
   Block estrogen receptors, preventing estrogen from binding and motivating cancer cell growth.   
4. Luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) agonists
   Minimises the generation of hormones that trigger cancer cell growth, used in prostate and breast cancer. 
5. Surgery
   Oophorectomy (removal of ovaries) or orchiectomy (removal of testicles) could be used to stop hormone production.

3) Other Hormone Therapies

1. Oral contraceptives: Oral contraceptives contain synthetic hormones (estrogen and progestin) to prevent pregnancy.
2.  Androgen replacement therapy(ART) : Androgen replacement therapy (ART) helps treat low testosterone levels in men.
3.  Gender-affirming hormone therapy: This is used to align secondary sex characteristics with a person's gender identity.
4.  Medications for hormonal imbalances: This is such as Metformin for PCOS and levothyroxine for hypothyroidism.

Are hormone therapy and hormone replacement therapy the same?

Though hormone therapy and hormone replacement therapy are used interchangeably by the healthcarepeople, there could be slight differences between the two. 

Hormone therapy (HT) is a broader term, which means it might apply to any kind of treatment involving hormones. For example, hormone therapy for cancer or to treat certain hormonal imbalances.

The hormone replacement therapy (HRT) usually means the hormones are replacing the natural hormones your human body is no longer making, particularly for people in their 30s - 40s. The difference is that HRT can have various complications based on your age.

When some people say hormone replacement therapy, they’re generally talking about menopause. But when people talk about hormone therapy, they aren’t always speaking about menopause. The term your healthcareprovider uses might also have something to do with your age. When you’re closer to the natural age of menopause, they may use the term hormone therapy.

When to Call the Doctor

At the time of hormonal therapy, if you have vaginal bleeding or other unusual symptoms, then contact your provider. Make sure to continue asking your provider for regular checkups when taking hormonal therapy.    

Who should avoid hormone therapy?

To ensure it's safe for you, consult your doctor before you take it:

1) If you have ever had an allergic reaction to oestrogen or progestogen, or to any other medicine.

2) If you have ever had breast cancer, are having tests for breast cancer, or are considered high risk because of the family history.