Hormones
Several types of hormone-dependent cancer (especially breast, prostate, and endometrial cancer) respond to treatment with their corresponding hormone antagonists.
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Estrogen antagonists are primarily used in the treatment of breast cancer (tamoxifen)Â whereas androgen antagonists are used in the treatment of prostate cancer (cyproterone acetate)
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Corticosteroids (predinsolone) are among regiment particularly useful in treating lymphocytic leukemias and lymphomas.
Drugs
- Antiestrogen: TamoxifenZ for estrogen receptor-positive tumors Tamoxifen is the drug of choice in postmenopausal women with or recovering from metastatic breast cancer. It is most effective in patients who have estrogen receptor-positive tumors.
Tamoxifen is also used as adjunvctive therapy to oophorectomy to leuprolide or goserelin in premenopausal women with estrogen receptor-positive tumors. *if positive estrogen 1st degree family as prophylaxis *
- Glucocorticoids: They are integral components of curative therapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and Hodgkin’s disease.
Glucocorticoids have essential roles in the prevention of allergic reaction, vomiting control, relief of intracranial hypertension or spinal cord compression in neurologic complications, and pain relief.
- Estrogens: Estrogens inhibit the effects of endogenous androgens and androgen-dependent metastatic prostatic carcinoma.
Cardiac and cerebrovascular complications and carcinoma of the male breast are potential adverse effects.
- Progenstins: Progestins are useful in the management of endometrial carcinoma and back-up therapy for metastatic hormone-dependent breast cancer