Some cancers are hormone sensitive. They contain cells with hormone receptors. When the right hormone reaches these cells, they grow and reproduce.

Cancers that can be hormone sensitive include:

• breast
• prostate
• ovarian
• endometrial (uterus).

Hormonal therapy is a way of treating hormone-sensitive cancers. Different hormonal therapies work in different ways. They either:

• stop the body from making the hormone, or
• stop the hormone from affecting the cancer cells.

Androgens are the male sex hormones. Most are made in the testes (testicles).

The two main androgens are:

• testosterone
• dihydrotestosterone (DHT).

Androgens make prostate cancer cells grow. Therefore, reducing the amount of androgens, or stopping them from working, can shrink or slow the growth of prostate cancers. This is known as androgen deprivation therapy (ADT).

There are several types of ADT, which work in different ways:

• tablets or injections that reduce the production of testosterone
• surgical removal of the testes (orchidectomy) to stop the production of androgens
• tablets that block the effect of androgens called anti-androgens.

Androgen deprivation therapy is given for different stages of prostate cancer. These include:

• to shrink the cancer before other treatment
• to help radiation therapy work better
• to reduce the risk of the cancer coming back after treatment
• in advanced cancer to slow the growth or spread of the cancer, or to control symptoms
• for men who are not able to have surgery or radiation therapy due to other health problems.