Hormone therapy for cancer of unknown primary
Some cancers depend on hormones to grow. Hormone therapy works by either lowering the amount of hormones in the body or by blocking them from getting to cancer cells.
You might have hormone therapy if tests on the cancer show hormone receptors. There are a number of different types of hormone therapies. The type you need depends on a number of factors.
Hormone therapy isn’t a commonly used treatment for CUP.
What are hormones?
Hormones are substances that occur naturally in the body. They control the growth and activity of cells.
Some cancer cells have hormone receptors. Hormones can bind to these receptors and trigger the cancer to grow.
There are different types of hormones such as:
- oestrogen
- testosterone
- progesterone
How does hormone therapy work?
Hormone treatments lower the levels of specific hormones in the body or block their effects. Different hormone therapies target different hormones.
Hormone therapy is only likely to work if the cancer of unknown primary (CUP) has hormone receptors. Your doctor checks your cancer cells for these receptors when you are diagnosed (from the biopsy sample).
Cancers that have hormone receptors include:
- breast cancer
- prostate cancer
- womb cancer
- kidney cancer
Hormone therapy on its own doesn't cure CUP. But it can help to control the growth of the cancer, and relieve symptoms. Your doctor will talk to you about your treatment and why they have suggested hormone therapy.
Types of hormone therapy
There are different types of hormone therapy. The drug you might have depends on the type of hormone receptors found on the surface of your cancer cells. Some examples of hormone therapy include:
- anastrozole (Arimidex)
- letrozole (Femara)
- goserelin (Zoladex)
- leuprorelin (Prostap)
- flutamide (Drogenil)
- bicalutamide (Casodex)
- tamoxifen
Check what is the name of the hormone therapy with your doctor or nurse, then take a look at our A to Z list of cancer drugs.
How you have hormone therapy
You usually have hormone therapy as tablets or injections. Your doctor or nurse will tell you more about this.
Taking your tablets
You must take tablets according to the instructions your doctor or pharmacist gives you.
Speak to your pharmacist if you have problems swallowing the tablets.
Whether you have a full or an empty stomach can affect how much of a drug gets into your bloodstream.
You should take the right dose, no more or less.
Talk to your healthcare team before you stop taking a cancer drug or if you miss a dose.
Injection into your muscle
Some drugs are injected into a muscle (intramuscular injections), usually in your buttocks, upper thigh or upper arm.
You might have stinging or a dull ache for a short time after this type of injection, but they don't usually hurt much.
Injections under the skin (subcutaneous)
Some chemotherapy is given as an injection into the layer of fat just under the skin (subcutaneously). The skin of the tummy (abdomen), thigh and upper arm are the usual areas for giving subcutaneous treatment.
You may be able to give these injections yourself. It is important to wash your hands well before giving yourself an injection.
The video below shows you how to give an injection just under your skin. It is 3 minutes and 22 seconds long.
Nurse: This is a short film showing you how to give an injection just under your skin. This is called a subcutaneous or sub cut injection. This does not replace what your doctors and nurses tell you, so always follow their advice.
Voiceover: Subcutaneous injections may be part of your cancer treatment. Or, you may need them to prevent side effects of treatment, such as blood clots after surgery. Or to help control cancer symptoms, such as pain or sickness.
Most injections come in prefilled syringes.
Nurse: So, today I am going to show you how to give a subcutaneous injection. I am going to start by giving it into a practice cushion and then you can have a go at giving one yourself. Before you start, you need to get your equipment together. What you are going to need is an alcohol wipe to clean your skin, some cotton wool, a prefilled syringe and a sharps bin. It is important that you wash your hands with soap and water and dry them thoroughly before you start. Check that you have got the correct drug and that it is in date.
You can give the injection into the back of your arm, your tummy, your thigh or the outer part of your bottom. It is important that you vary where you give the injection. So it may be that you give it one day in your tummy and the next in your thigh.
So you start by cleaning the skin with the alcohol wipe and allowing it to air dry. Then you take the cover off the needle and pinch the skin up and hold it a bit like a pen and in an upright position, in a quick dart like motion pop it straight down into the skin. Then you press the plunger right to the end, quickly pull the needle out, dab it with cotton wool, pop the needle into the sharps bin. And then you need to wash your hands again.
So here’s what you are going to need. If you start by checking the drug and the expiry date. And then with the alcohol wipe give your skin a clean. That’s it give it a few seconds for the air to dry it. Ok and then if you want to pick up the syringe and take the cover off the needle. Then pinch your skin up and at a ninety degree angle gently push the needle in...then press the plunger...and then quickly remove it... dab your skin with the cotton wool and put the syringe in the sharps bin.
Side effects
Hormone therapy does not usually cause bad side effects. The side effects vary depending on the particular hormone therapy drug you have.
General side effects include:
- tiredness
- headaches
- feeling sick (nausea)
- joint and muscle pain
- hot flushes
You can read about the most common side effects in men and women in our hormone therapy section.
