Goal of Hormone Therapy for Uterine Sarcoma

Hormones are chemicals produced by the body used to send signals to cells and tissues to grow. Hormones work by attaching to specialized areas on cells called receptors.

The hormones and their receptors are like a lock and key; if you have the right key you can turn the lock. Hormones can also be used as medicines to make cells behave in certain manners. The goal of hormone therapy in endometrial cancer is to use specific hormones (typically progestins) to turn off the growth of cancer cells or to block the attachment of a hormone to its receptor. Most hormone treatments for endometrial cancer are given as pills by mouth. Like chemotherapy, they travel through your body in your bloodstream.

Hormones are used to treat some cases of uterine sarcoma. Your doctor may order special laboratory tests to determine if horomones are right for you. The most common type of hormones used are progestins. There are a variety of progestin medicines to select.

Making the Decision to Have Hormone Therapy for Uterine Sarcoma

Your doctor may recommend hormone therapy for you in any of these cases.

  • Surgery is not a good choice for you either because your health is poor or your cancer is advanced.
  • You have already been treated for uterine sarcoma cancer, and the cancer has come back.
  • Following surgery, to decrease the chance of the cancer returning.

Not all types of uterine sarcoma respond to hormones, and your doctor will let you know if hormone treatment is appropriate for you. Your response to hormone therapy may be limited. That is, the tumor may respond to the treatment for some time, possibly shrinking, but the response may not last.

What Happens During Hormone Therapy for Uterine Sarcoma

Progestin medications are given by mouth, or in some cases by injection. Typically, daily pills by mouth are taken. Your doctor will discuss what steps are needed (biopsy, X-ray like a CT scan) and when they should be performed (after 1,2,3 months) to learn if the hormone is effective.

What to Expect After Hormone Therapy for Uterine Sarcoma

Because hormone therapy affects normal cells as well as cancer cells, you may have some side effects from this treatment. Usually, the risk for side effects is far less than the benefit of killing cancer cells.

Here are some side effects that are common with hormone therapy. They can be unpleasant but aren’t dangerous.

  • Fatigue
  • Change in appetite, either more or less hungry than usual
  • Weight gain or loss
  • Changes in your sex drive, called your libido

Be sure to discuss any concerns about side effects with your doctor. These side effects usually ease after treatment ends.