You may be offered hormonal therapies to treat bone secondaries from breast or prostate cancer.

Hormones help to control how cells grow and what they do in the body. However, some can also affect the growth of breast cancer or prostate cancer cells.

Hormonal therapies work by:

• lowering the levels of particular hormones in the body
• preventing hormones from being used by the cancer cells.

Hormonal therapies can slow down or stop the growth of the cancer cells in the bone. They can shrink the cancer and reduce or get rid of symptoms such as bone pain.

Different types of hormonal therapy work in slightly different ways. You may have two different types at the same time. They are given as tablets or injections.

Side effects

Hormonal therapy can cause side effects for some people, including hot flushes and sweats in both men and women. Although the effects can be mild for many people, for others they can be more difficult to cope with. It is important to discuss the possible side effects with your doctor before you start treatment.

We have more information on commonly used hormonal drugs. We have information about managing menopausal symptoms in women. We also have information for men about managing the effects of hormone therapy.