Disadvantages of hormone therapy
Hormone therapy has some disadvantages. These include, for example, the very long duration of treatment. As a rule, anti-hormonal therapies must be maintained for 5 to 10 years. This is due to the low aggressiveness of this form of treatment. Another disadvantage of hormone therapy can be temporary menopausal symptoms.
Duration of the therapy
In contrast to classical chemotherapy, hormone therapy usually takes several years. The reason for the long treatment period is the non-aggressive and indirect effect of hormone therapy. As a rule, the duration of treatment is 5 years, in some cases up to 10 years.
Even after successful treatment, it is sometimes recommended to continue the therapy, as this can significantly reduce the risk of tumor reappearance. This prevention is usually also carried out for 5 to 10 years. Overall, hormone therapy takes a very long time and requires a life adjustment or a certain discipline in terms of medication (at least for preparations in tablet form).
How do you deal with the desire to have a child during hormone therapy?
Hormone therapies lead to a temporary menopausal state and prevent pregnancy. However, this condition can be reversed after successful treatment, as hormone therapy does not cause any damage to the ovaries. However, women who are just before menopause at the beginning of treatment have an increased risk of losing the function of their ovaries due to the treatment.
If there is an unfulfilled desire to have children, this should be discussed with the treating doctor at the beginning. Depending on the degree of the disease, the therapy can be adapted to the desire to have children. Additional measures can be taken to maintain the patient’s fertility.
If a therapy has already been started, it does not make sense to stop the medication on your own and should be discussed with a doctor first. After completion of treatment, there is usually no need to take a break until the time of pregnancy. However, it may take some time before the ovaries are fully functional again.
