Hormonal therapy

Hormonal therapy may be used in addition to surgery and radiotherapy for treating breast cancer in men. Many breast cancers need hormones called oestrogens to grow. Hormonal therapies work by decreasing the amount of oestrogen in the body or by stopping the cancer cells from getting oestrogen. Hormonal therapies include anti-estrogens (tamoxifen) and aromatase inhibitors.

Side effects of hormonal therapy

The most common side effects of hormonal therapy for men include:

• hot flushes (sudden feeling of being overheated, accompanied by sweating and redness in the chest, neck and face)
• nausea
• headaches
• decrease in libido/sexual interest.

Blood clots are a rare side effect of hormonal therapy. Talk to your doctors if you have had blood clots before, and ask how to help prevent blood clots. Contact your doctor immediately (or hospital emergency department if your doctor is not available) if you have chest pain, or if you notice any pain, warmth, swelling or tenderness in an arm or leg.

Different drugs affect individual men in different ways. Some men will have more side effects than others while some may not have any at all. Most side effects can be managed. If you experience any new symptoms it is important to talk to your doctor or specialist.

“I’m currently on tamoxifen, no one could tell me if there would be any side effects in men. As yet I’ve only experienced hot flushes, which makes life interesting”

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