Hormonal therapy refers to any type of treatment that adds, replaces or blocks hormones. Since most cancers depend on hormones to grow, hormonal therapy blocks hormones (or their receptors) for treatment of certain kinds of cancers. It is a form of systemic therapy used as an adjuvant treatment to lessen the danger of recurrence of cancer following surgery.

 Drugs used in hormonal therapy are normally in the form of tablet or suspension liquid. Most people do not have any side effects at all, and if there are, they are usually mild problems such as fluid retention, increased appetite and nausea. Serious side effects, albeit rare, are jaundice, a severe rise in blood pressure and allergic reactions like swelling, chest pains or difficulty in breathing.

Advantages of Hormonal Therapy for Mesothelioma Patients

Studies were conducted recently using dexamethasone (a synthetic hormone) to determine if it will reduce the effects of some mesothelioma treatments. Doctors find the development very encouraging. Other clinical studies tested if hormone therapy with Megestrol can minimize the production of hormones that stimulate cancer in patients with mesothelioma. The drug Megestrol is a progesterone with antineoplastic characteristics.

Researches will continue to be done hoping to determine that hormonal therapy can have some benefits for mesothelioma patients since the treatment has been proven useful in treating breast and endometrial cancers in females and prostate cancer in males.