( Prostate cancer patients who receive tr...)Even 6 months or more of hormone therapy treatment does not impact longevity of prostate cancer patients,Health

Prostate cancer patients who receive treatment by way of radiation or surgery with hormone therapy that goes above a 6 month period, does not impact longevity when compared// to patients who have received the treatment for a shorter duration, a recent study has revealed.

"Many patients with high risk prostate cancer are treated with two or more years of hormone therapy based on studies performed over a decade ago," said Cliff Robinson, M.D., lead author of the study and a radiation oncologist at Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio. "Our study's findings suggest that treating current patients with shorter-term hormone therapy may not only be equally effective, but also improve their quality of life, due to a lesser degree of treatment side effects."

The authors also found that patients receiving longer than six months of hormone therapy were twice as likely to die as patients who use the treatment for a shorter amount of time. "The reasons why patients receiving longer term hormone therapy may do worse are unclear," said Dr. Robinson, who also cautions, "A number of factors could complicate the issue, and this area needs further investigation before any conclusions can be drawn."

Androgen deprivation therapy is a hormone therapy used to treat prostate cancer by lowering the level of male hormones (androgens) to shrink or slow down the growth of prostate cancer. It has been shown to dramatically slow advanced prostate cancer that has already spread to the lymph nodes or the bone, and improves survival when combined with radiation therapy in advanced prostate cancer that has not already spread.

Several side effects are common to androgen deprivation therapy and are a direct result of decreased androgen levels. Side effects vary significantly depending on the amount and length of time the hormone therapy is given. Potential side effects include reduced sexual desire, impotence, hot flashes, weakening of the bones, breast
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