For women, it may be possible for eggs to be removed, fertilised, frozen and stored for possible reimplantation later. As this can involve the use of hormone drugs to stimulate the ovaries to produce more eggs, it may not be suitable for women to have hormone dependent cancers. Once your treatment has been completed you may wish to explore the fertility options further. Specialised help is available including counselling for infertile couples, and guidance about alternatives to having your own children. Some cancers are influenced by hormones naturally produced within the body, so treatment is given to change the hormone levels.
Tamoxifen is an anti-oestrogen drug often given as part of the treatment for breast cancer.
It has fewer side effects than chemotherapy . Some women complain of symptoms similar to those of the menopause, such as vaginal soreness, dryness or discharge, or a shrinking of the vagina and a drop in sex drive. However, some women have no such side-effects. Hormone therapy's effect on men In men with prostate cancer, it can be helpful to lower testosterone production. Treatments to lower testosterone production have major effects on a man's sex life.