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Page 326
| Hair loss |
| Decreased libido |
| Atopic vaginitis |
| Chronic health problems associated with specific cytotoxic drugs, for example, heart damage caused by Adriamycin |
| See chapter 10 for a more detailed review of chemotherapeutic drugs. |
| Hormone Treatment |
| Hormone therapy has been somewhat successful in treating cancers that are hormone dependent, notably breast and prostate cancers. In order to stop production of the hormones that fed the cancer in the first place, the testicles or ovaries are occasionally removed when dealing with these two types of cancer. Androgens (male hormones) are sometimes given to patients to treat breast cancer, and estrogens (female hormones) may be given to treat prostate cancer. Hormone-blocking drugs, such as tamoxifen, are also used to treat and prevent recurrences of breast cancer. Estrogen stimulates cancer growth because it binds to a nuclear receptor that contains a heat-shock protein (HSP) molecule. Upon binding, the HSP disassociates itself and allows changes in the receptors to occur. This leads to activation of DNA transcription. Hormone-blocking drugs work by binding to specific estrogen receptors on the surface of tumor cells where hormones would normally bind, inhibiting the cell from growing and reproducing. These drugs are generally taken following surgery and/or chemotherapy to prevent a local recurrence or metastasis of cancers that are hormone-dependent. |
| Tamoxifen |
| Tamoxifen is a hormone antagonist that works by competing with the estrogen receptors, thus inhibiting the effects of estrogen on target cells. It is usually given to women with estrogen-positive breast cancer, the theory being that breast cancer is suppressed by inhibiting estrogen production. Although tamoxifen therapy has been found to be beneficial, it does have some unpleasant side effects, which include: |
| Early menopause, with hot flashes and other menopausal side effects, depression being perhaps the most common. |
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