Diagnosis and Treatment, Featured, Prostate Cancer, Survivorship

Advanced prostate cancer: Hormone therapy and pain relief

By Nicole Ferrara • September 24, 2024

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

Editor's note: September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.

By Mayo Clinic staff

Prostate problems are among the most common reasons men see their doctors. That's because with age most men experience some type of prostate problem — enlargement, inflammation or cancer. About 12.8 % of men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime, and an estimated 3.4 million men live with prostate cancer in the U.S., according to the National Cancer Institute.

"Mayo Clinic on Prostate Health, 3^rd Edition: Answers to Questions About Prostate Enlargement, Inflammation and Cancer" is a comprehensive guide to preventing, understanding, treating and living with prostate disease written by Derek Lomas, M.D., a Mayo Clinic urologist, and Paras Shah, M.D., a Mayo Clinic urologic oncologist. Their book discusses the advances in research, explosion in sophisticated imaging technology and new medical procedures that have allowed for earlier diagnosis of prostate disease and more personalized treatment.

Advanced prostate cancer, also called metastatic or stage 4 prostate cancer, is cancer that has spread beyond the prostate to distant parts of the body. Earlier this year, Mayo Clinic Press published two excerpts focused on advanced prostate cancer from "Mayo Clinic on Prostate Health" on its blog:

Hormone therapy for advanced prostate cancer

The cornerstone of treatment for advanced prostate cancer is medications that shut off the production and activity of male sex hormones (androgens).

Testosterone is the main male sex hormone responsible for masculine features and the development of male reproductive organs. Testosterone also supports the spread of prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer cells are highly dependent on androgens for survival and growth.

Circulation of androgens throughout the body and around cancer cells in the prostate gland encourages the cancer cells to multiply. A way to slow the growth of the cancer is to drastically reduce or cut off the supply of androgens to cancer cells. This weakens the cells and ultimately leads to their death.

Depriving prostate cancer of androgens is known as hormone therapy or androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT).

Read the complete excerpt on hormone therapy for advanced prostate cancer.

Relieving advanced prostate cancer pain

Prostate cancer in its early stages typically isn't painful. However, once the cancer has spread beyond the prostate gland to nearby bone — the pelvic bones and, eventually, the spine — it may produce intense pain. For reasons that aren't clear, prostate cancer cells often migrate to bone tissue as they spread.

You don't need to endure pain as you manage your cancer. There are effective methods for relieving prostate cancer pain. Many times, hormone therapy medications used to treat the cancer also help reduce pain associated with its spread. Your doctor may recommend other approaches.

Read the complete excerpt on treating local and general pain from advanced prostate cancer.