What should you pay attention to when taking medication for prostate cancer?

Any drug treatment may have side effects, and endocrine therapy drugs for prostate cancer are no exception. Let us introduce them below so that you can understand them and take appropriate precautions. As mentioned earlier, whether it is medical castration, estrogen, or anti-androgen drugs, they all treat prostate cancer by preventing androgens from taking effect.

However, in addition to promoting the growth of prostate cancer cells, androgen itself is a very important substance in the human body. It plays a vital role in promoting the development of reproductive organs, the appearance of secondary sexual characteristics and generating sexual desire.

When androgens in the body decrease, some patients will often feel flushed and hot, and may even experience gynecomastia, accompanied by breast pain or tenderness. Some patients will be prone to fatigue and drowsiness. These symptoms tend to improve gradually and no special treatment is required. In addition to the above short-term symptoms, patients who are at androgen deprivation levels for a long time may experience long-term adverse reactions, the most common of which are osteoporosis and muscle atrophy. Active prevention while treating prostate cancer can minimize the occurrence of adverse events.

It must be emphasized again that patients should take medications strictly according to the treatment plan formulated by the physician and should not change or stop taking medications on their own. This is not only detrimental to treatment, but also makes it very difficult for physicians to take correct measures when certain symptoms occur without knowing the patient's actual medication situation.