Hormone therapy for cancer
Cancer treatment that lowers or blocks hormones for cancers that use hormones to grow, most often breast and prostate cancer.
✓ Medically reviewed by a GMC-registered consultant · last reviewed September 2026 · next review September 2027 · how we review
In short
- It lowers or blocks hormones for cancers that use hormones to grow, mainly breast and prostate cancer.
- It only helps hormone-driven cancers, and is not chemotherapy or a guaranteed cure.
- It is usually taken for a long time (often years), and the side effects come mostly from the drop in hormones.
- Taking it consistently and looking after bone and heart health matter; report troublesome side effects rather than stopping.
A plain-English summary. The detail — including risks and recovery — is below.
At a glance
A general guide. Your specialist will give you advice for your situation.
Can lower the chance of some cancers coming back after surgery or radiotherapy.
It does not help cancers that are not hormone-driven, so testing the cancer matters where relevant.
You learn how and when to take the drug, what side effects to expect, and what to report. Side effects often settle somewhat over the first weeks to...
Clear instructions on how long to take the treatment and how to take it consistently.
You learn how and when to take the drug, what side effects to expect, and what to report. Side effects often...
Hot flushes, mood changes and aches are common early on and may ease with time or with help from your team.
You are reviewed for side effects and response, sometimes with blood tests, bone scans or markers such as PSA.
Treatment may continue for several years. Bone and heart health are monitored, and the plan is reviewed...
What is hormone therapy for cancer?
Some cancers — most commonly breast and prostate cancer — use the body's hormones to grow. Hormone therapy (also called endocrine therapy) works by lowering the level of these hormones or by blocking their effect on cancer cells.
In breast cancer that is hormone-receptor positive, drugs such as tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitors block oestrogen or reduce how much the body makes. In prostate cancer, treatments reduce testosterone or stop it reaching the cancer (often called androgen deprivation therapy).
Hormone therapy is usually given over a long period — often several years — as tablets, injections or implants. It may be used after surgery or radiotherapy to lower the chance of the cancer returning, or to control a cancer that has spread.
It is not chemotherapy and is not a guaranteed cure. Its side effects come mainly from the drop in hormones, and it only helps cancers that are driven by hormones, which is why the cancer is tested first where relevant.
Types, options & approaches
There may be different ways to do this. The right approach depends on the clinical question and your circumstances.
Options at a glance
These are the main approaches described in this guide. The right option depends on the diagnosis, your goals and what your clinician thinks is safe.
Hormone-blocking tablets (breast cancer)
Tamoxifen blocks oestrogen's effect on breast cancer cells. It is commonly used and can suit women before the menopause.
Aromatase inhibitors (breast cancer)
Tablets such as anastrozole, letrozole and exemestane that lower oestrogen levels. Used mainly after the menopause.
Hormone injections / implants (breast and prostate)
Injections that switch off hormone production from the ovaries or testicles. Given every few weeks or months.
Anti-androgen treatment (prostate cancer)
Tablets or injections that reduce testosterone or block its effect, slowing hormone-driven prostate cancer.
Preparing for your treatment
- Check whether your cancer has been tested and is hormone-driven, and what the aim of treatment is.
- Give your team a full list of medicines and supplements, as some interact with hormone treatments.
- Ask about bone health, as some treatments can weaken bones over time.
- Tell your team about heart problems, clots, or a history of stroke, as these can affect choice of drug.
- Ask how the treatment is taken, for how long, and what to do if you miss a dose (for tablets).
- Discuss fertility and contraception if relevant, as some treatments can harm a pregnancy.
- Plan how you will remember a daily tablet taken over a long period.
What happens
Hormone therapy is usually started after your diagnosis and any surgery or radiotherapy, once it is known whether the cancer is hormone-driven. It may be tablets taken daily at home, injections or implants given at the clinic every few weeks or months, or a combination.
Because it is taken over a long time, much of the treatment happens in everyday life rather than in hospital. You have regular reviews to check side effects and how things are going, and sometimes blood tests, bone scans or other monitoring depending on the treatment.
The effect is measured over months to years — for example by scans, by blood markers such as PSA in prostate cancer, or simply by the cancer not returning. Treatment continues for the planned period, or for as long as it keeps the cancer controlled.
Is this treatment right for me?
A good consultation should explore whether it's the right choice for you now — including reasons to wait or consider something else.
May not be suitable if…
- It does not help cancers that are not hormone-driven, so testing the cancer matters where relevant.
- Tamoxifen may not be suitable for people with a history of blood clots, and choices differ before and after the menopause.
- Some treatments may need extra care or alternatives in people with significant bone, heart or circulation problems.
- It is a long-term treatment, so it is not the right approach if it cannot be safely continued or monitored.
Delay or rearrange if…
- You have an active clot, recent stroke or unstable heart problem that needs assessing first.
- You are pregnant or might be, as some hormone treatments can harm a developing baby.
- Unexplained vaginal bleeding has not yet been investigated (relevant to tamoxifen).
- A medicine review is needed to manage interactions.
- Your bone-health status needs checking before starting a bone-thinning treatment.
Alternatives to discuss
- Other cancer treatments such as surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy or targeted therapy, depending on the cancer.
- Switching between hormone treatments if one is not tolerated.
- Best supportive (palliative) care focused on symptoms and quality of life.
- A clinical trial, where suitable.
- Choosing not to have hormone therapy, with support either way.
Before you decide
Use this as a shared-decision checklist. The aim is not just “can this be done?”, but whether it is right for you, now, with the risks and alternatives clearly understood.
What matters most to me?
Think about symptoms, daily life, work, caring responsibilities, sport, fertility, travel, appearance and anxiety — the right choice depends on your priorities, not just the medical facts.
What are all my options?
Ask about waiting, monitoring, medicines, rehabilitation, a smaller or larger procedure, a different test, NHS referral, or a second opinion where that would help.
What would make me pause?
Active infection, pregnancy, unstable medical problems, smoking, medicines that increase bleeding, poor support at home, or feeling pressured are all reasons to slow down and get tailored advice.
What happens if I do nothing today?
For some problems, waiting is safe; for others, delay can make treatment harder. A good consultation should explain the trade-off in plain English.
Benefits
- Can lower the chance of some cancers coming back after surgery or radiotherapy.
- Can control cancers that have spread, sometimes for a long time.
- Usually taken as tablets or injections, so does not require chemotherapy-style infusions.
- Can relieve symptoms in advanced hormone-driven cancers.
- Often allows people to continue much of their normal daily life.
Risks & complications
- Hot flushes and sweats.
- Tiredness and changes in mood.
- Reduced sex drive and sexual changes.
- Joint or muscle aches (especially with aromatase inhibitors) or weight changes.
- Thinning of the bones (osteoporosis) over longer-term treatment.
- Breast tenderness or growth in men (gynaecomastia) on prostate hormone therapy.
- Vaginal dryness or, with tamoxifen, changes to the womb lining.
- Memory or concentration changes.
- Blood clots in the leg or lung, particularly with tamoxifen.
- An increased risk of womb cancer with tamoxifen (still uncommon).
- Effects on the heart or circulation with long-term hormone therapy.
- Serious bone fractures related to weakened bones.
Side effects depend on the specific drug and on whether you are treated as a man or a woman, before or after the menopause. The most important longer-term issues are bone health, heart and circulation health, and (for tamoxifen) clots and womb changes. Report any unusual vaginal bleeding, leg swelling or breathlessness promptly. Ask your team how your bones and heart will be monitored and protected.
Published figures to discuss
How much hormone therapy helps, and how often particular side effects occur, varies widely by cancer type, drug, stage and the individual (including age and menopause status). Reputable sources avoid quoting single benefit figures because they differ greatly and can mislead. The most important defensible points are that side effects come from lowering hormones, that some carry longer-term risks (bone thinning, and for tamoxifen clots and womb changes), and that some cancers become resistant over time.
| Figure | Reported range | How to interpret it | Source / confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hot flushes, sexual effects and mood change | Common | Endocrine side effects can affect adherence and should be proactively managed. | Guide sourcesClinical context |
| Bone loss | Drug- and duration-dependent | Aromatase inhibitors and androgen deprivation can reduce bone density, so fracture prevention may be needed. | Guide sourcesClinical context |
| Blood clots or cardiovascular/metabolic effects | Treatment-specific | Tamoxifen, ovarian suppression and prostate cancer hormone therapy have different risk profiles. | NHS — Treatment for breast cancer (including hormone therapy)nhs.ukSource-linked context |
| Stopping early reduces benefit | Adherence-dependent | If side effects are difficult, dose timing, switching or supportive treatment should be discussed before stopping. | Guide sourcesClinical context |
These are literature figures, not a personalised prediction. Your own risks and likely benefits depend on your circumstances, your health, and how your care is carried out and followed up.
What happens afterwards
Hormone therapy is given over months or years, so 'afterwards' means living alongside treatment, managing side effects, and having reviews and tests to check it is working.
- Hot flushes and sweats, especially in the first months.
- Tiredness and changes in mood or sleep.
- Joint or muscle aches, particularly with aromatase inhibitors.
- Sexual changes and reduced sex drive.
- Needing regular reviews and sometimes bone or blood monitoring.
Aftercare
- Take tablet treatments consistently, at the same time each day, over the whole planned period.
- Do not stop or pause treatment without discussing it with your team.
- Look after your bones with advice on diet, vitamin D, exercise and any recommended scans.
- Look after your heart health with advice on activity, weight, blood pressure and smoking.
- Report unusual vaginal bleeding, leg swelling, breathlessness or chest pain promptly.
- Tell your team about new medicines or supplements, as some interact.
- Use the support available for hot flushes, mood and sexual side effects rather than suffering in silence.
- Clear instructions on how and when to take the treatment, and for how long
- A reminder system for daily tablets
- What to do if you miss a dose (for tablets)
- Plan for bone and heart health monitoring
- Side effects to report and who to contact
- List of medicines and supplements shared with your team
- Contact details for your cancer team saved
⚠ Get urgent help if…
- Pain, redness or swelling in a leg, or sudden breathlessness or chest pain (possible blood clot) — seek urgent help.
- Any unusual vaginal bleeding, especially after the menopause, while on tamoxifen.
- Sudden severe bone pain or a possible fracture.
- Severe mood changes, or thoughts of harming yourself — seek help promptly.
- Signs of a heart problem, such as chest tightness or severe breathlessness.
- New severe headaches or visual changes.
- Any symptom that worries you or feels new and persistent.
Who to contact: your clinician, clinic or test provider first (keep their number to hand). For urgent advice when you can't reach them, call NHS 111. In an emergency, call 999.
General guidance — it doesn't replace the specific advice your specialist gives you.
Results & realistic expectations
A good outcome depends on the situation. After surgery or radiotherapy, hormone therapy aims to lower the chance of the cancer returning. For cancer that has spread, it aims to control the disease and relieve symptoms, sometimes for a long time.
Hormone therapy only helps hormone-driven cancers, does not work for everyone, and is not a guaranteed cure. Some cancers stop responding over time (become resistant). Your specialist will explain the realistic aim for you and monitor how well it is working.
Hormone therapy is often taken for several years, and for some cancers the protective effect continues after it stops. In advanced cancer, it can control the disease for a period before the cancer adapts and becomes resistant, at which point treatment is changed. Length of benefit varies widely.
Related tests, treatments or support
Hormone therapy is often combined with surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy or targeted therapy, depending on the cancer and stage. In some advanced cancers it is given together with other drugs from the start. Your team decides the combination that fits your situation.
Follow-up & long-term care
You have regular reviews to check side effects and response, with blood tests or markers (such as PSA in prostate cancer), scans, and bone monitoring where relevant. Your team should explain how long treatment will last, how it is monitored, and how to report problems.
- Taking long-term tablets consistently over the whole prescribed period.
- Bone-health monitoring and treatment to protect against osteoporosis where needed.
- Heart and circulation health checks and lifestyle support.
- Regular blood markers or scans to check the cancer's response.
- Reviewing and managing side effects so treatment can be continued.
Repeat, follow-on and what comes next
- Treatments are often switched if side effects are hard to tolerate or if one is not suitable.
- If a cancer becomes resistant, the specialist usually changes the treatment.
- Bone-protection or other supportive treatment may be added during long-term therapy.
- Plans are reviewed regularly over the years of treatment.
Ask what happens if the result is unclear or needs repeating, and what is included if further tests or follow-up are needed.
What good aftercare looks like
- Clear instructions on how long to take the treatment and how to take it consistently.
- A plan for monitoring and protecting bone and heart health.
- A named contact for side effects, and support for hot flushes, mood and sexual problems.
- Regular review of response and side effects, with good coordination with the NHS and the wider team.
What affects the cost
Costs vary a great deal between people and providers, and we don't publish prices. What matters is understanding what drives the cost and making sure your quote is complete. The main things that affect it:
- The specific drug or combination, and whether it is tablets, injections or implants.
- How long treatment continues (often several years).
- Any testing of the cancer needed beforehand.
- Monitoring such as blood markers, bone scans and review appointments.
- Management of side effects, including bone-protection treatment.
- Specialist consultations and follow-up.
- Whether the drug is NHS-approved for your cancer or only available privately.
- The cost of the treatment and the expected duration.
- Whether monitoring (blood markers, bone scans, reviews) is included.
- The specialist consultation and follow-up fees.
- The cost of injections or implants given at the clinic, if relevant.
- What happens, and what it costs, if side effects need treatment or the drug is changed.
- How private care is coordinated with NHS treatment and funding.
On the NHS? Hormone therapy is widely available on the NHS for breast and prostate cancer when clinically indicated; private care may be used for a quicker first appointment or more choice, but does not change the underlying treatment or guarantee outcomes.
You're entitled to your total cost in writing — including reports, follow-up and what happens if the result is inconclusive — before you decide.
Consent traps and marketing red flags
These are not small details. They are often where patients lose choice, time to reflect, or realistic expectations.
Consent traps
- Not being told the treatment only helps hormone-driven cancers.
- Being led to believe it is a guaranteed cure.
- Not being warned about longer-term risks such as bone thinning, or tamoxifen's clot and womb risks.
- No clear plan for monitoring, for managing side effects, or for what to do if a dose is missed.
Marketing red flags
- Claims that hormone therapy cures cancer or works for everyone.
- Offering hormone therapy without checking whether the cancer is hormone-driven.
- Downplaying side effects or the need for bone and heart monitoring.
- Overseas or private clinics promising guaranteed results for large fees.
Choosing a specialist safely
- Check the specialist is on the GMC Specialist Register for this area.
- Make sure they work at a CQC-registered service, and look for membership of the relevant Royal College or professional body.
- You're entitled to time to consider and to have your questions answered before you agree — the specialist who looks after you should explain it, not a salesperson.
- Be wary of pressure: time-limited offers or deposits taken before you've had time to think are red flags, not bargains.
- You're entitled to your total cost in writing — including any follow-up — before you decide.
Questions to ask your medical professional
Take this to your consultation. A good specialist will welcome every one of these.
- Is my cancer hormone-driven, and how do you know hormone therapy will help?
- Is the aim to lower the risk of it coming back, or to control a cancer that has spread?
- Which specific treatment do you recommend, and for how long?
- What side effects are most likely for me, and how will they be managed?
- How will you protect and monitor my bone and heart health?
- What should I do if I miss a tablet or find the side effects hard to cope with?
- What happens if the cancer stops responding to hormone therapy?
- Are you on the GMC Specialist Register for this area, and which Royal College or professional body are you a member of?
- Will you be the specialist who carries out my treatment, and who looks after me afterwards?
- What are the risks for someone like me, and how often do your own patients have a problem or need it repeated or redone?
- What does a realistic result look like — and what can this treatment not achieve?
- What are my options, including waiting, doing nothing for now, or choosing a different approach?
- Can I have written information, results and aftercare instructions in a format I can use, including any accessibility or communication support I need?
- What is the total cost in writing, including any follow-ups, and how much time do I have to decide?
Frequently asked questions
Is hormone therapy the same as chemotherapy?
How long will I take it for?
Why do I need to look after my bones?
What if the side effects are hard to live with?
Is it a cure?
Is it available on the NHS?
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How we made this page
Medically reviewed by a GMC-registered consultant. Written in plain English, checked against NHS, NICE, GMC and relevant Royal College / specialist-society guidance, and kept under review. No clinic paid to appear on this page, and we publish no pricing. This is general information to help you prepare — it is not a substitute for advice from your own clinician. How we review our guides →
Source hierarchy: UK regulator and NHS/NICE guidance first, then relevant Royal College or specialist-society guidance, then peer-reviewed evidence for procedure-specific figures where available.
Sources & standards: Cancer Research UK — Hormone therapy Cancer Research UK — Hormone therapy for breast cancer Cancer Research UK — Hormone therapy for prostate cancer Breast Cancer Now — Hormone (endocrine) therapy Prostate Cancer UK — Hormone therapy NHS — Treatment for breast cancer (including hormone therapy)
Reviews reflect patients' experience of care, not clinical outcomes. For procedure volumes and outcome data see PHIN.
Last medically reviewed 2026-09-21. Spotted something wrong or out of date? Report an error in this guide.
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