Hello and thanks for your post

Prostate cancer usually depends on testosterone to grow. Hormone therapy blocks or lowers the amount of testosterone in the body.

Hormone injections work by blocking messages from a gland in the brain that tell the testicles to produce testosterone. At first, the injections may make symptoms worse. This is called tumour flare. Your doctor may recommend you take an anti androgen tablet such as bicalutamide for the first 4 to 6 weeks of your treatment to stop the tumour flare.

Hormone therapy tablets are usually known as anti-androgen tablets.  Prostate cancer cells have areas called receptors. Testosterone attaches to these receptors and can encourage cancer cells to divide and grow. Anti androgen drugs work by attaching themselves to these receptors. This stops testosterone from reaching the prostate cancer cells.

We have more information about hormone injections and tablets on our website. The charity Prostate Cancer UK has further information about hormone therapy that may be useful.

I hope this has been of some help. Give us a ring if you want to talk things over. The number to call is Freephone 0808 800 4040 and the lines are open from 9am till 5pm Monday to Friday.

Kind regards,

Celene