Hormone Therapy

What is hormone therapy?

Some types of cancer thrive and grow because of hormones (estrogen and progesterone) that naturally occur in the body, while other types of cancer growth is slowed or suppressed by these same types of hormones. Hormone therapy as cancer treatment may involve:

• removing the organ(s) that is the source of the hormone (such as the ovaries).
• taking drugs that slow the growth of the cancer cells, such as a progesterone, which may be given to slow the growth of endometrial cancer.

Researchers are continually studying the risks and benefits of hormone therapy for the treatment of gynecological cancers.