Evaluating the Use of Hormone Therapy - Essay Example

Running head: CONTROVERSY OVER HORMONE THERAPY Evaluating the Use of Hormone Therapy School Affiliation Evaluating the Use of Hormone Therapy What Hormone Therapy Is and the Controversy Is hormone therapy even beneficial? Hormone therapy is used for many types of cancer that is hormone related such as breast and prostrate (Prostrate Cancer Treatment, National Cancer Institute, 2011). Additionally, it is used for women in menopause to alleviate symptoms or to help prevent osteoporosis (Breast Cancer Treatment, National Cancer Institute, 2011).

It can also be used for sexual reassignment procedures for people who are transgendered (Asscheman, H, Gooren, L.J.G., 1992). These therapies are used to add, block or remove hormones. (Dictionary, National Cancer Institute, 2011). There is controversy on this topic because it has several health risks associated with it but it also has the potential to help people who are oncology patients. Also, the issue of sexual reassignment and its ethical value is also controversial. My Opinion I personally think that hormone therapy is like playing God.

I do not think we should be messing with peoples hormones to conquer or treat cancer. If there are too many negative side effects, I do not think that people with cancer need to deal with additional side effects. I also do not think the use of hormones to change gender is appropriate nor ethical. If you were supposed to be one gender, you would have been born it. I also think that since menopause is a natural process, you should just deal with it and do not go through an expensive therapy treatment to alleviate the symptoms of it.

The Other View Alternately, benefits of using hormone therapy include the taking of estrogen or progestin (progesterone in a man-made form) to provide relief for menopausal symptoms. Some of these symptoms that will be alleviated through therapy are hot flashes, dryness, itching and burning in the vaginal area. Additionally, studies show that hormone therapy can help prevent osteoporosis, colorectal cancer and even heart disease (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2010). According to Stanford Medicine research, hormones can often make cancer cells grow.

Other hormones, however, can slow the cancer cell growth or halt it altogether. (Stanford Medicine Cancer Institute, 2011). When it comes to prostrate cancer in men, it is found that the use of hormone therapy in combination with radiation treatment can actually increase the survival rate of a man battling prostrate cancer. Approximately 66 percent of men have increased survival rate as a result of using hormone therapy to help treat prostrate cancer. When adding radiation, this rate jumps to a 74 percent lifespan increase (Warde, P.

, Manson, M. Ding, K., 2011). Therefore, the benefits help to extend the patients life. In women, drugs are used to inhibit the body from creating estrogen or to block hormones which will aid in the treatment of breast cancer. Estrogen promotes the growth of breast cancer cells so it is important to find a way to halt its production. Hormone therapy allows for this. Some of the drugs and hormones used in hormone therapy include estrogen or progestin, which is a man-made form of progesterone (American Cancer Society, 2011).

In addition to being a cancer treatment, hormone therapy also is used to transform people who have gender identity issues either from male to female with the use of feminizing hormones or from female to male with masculine hormones. The use of hormone therapy for this in male to female transgender change creates breasts, changes the growth of body hair, makes the voice a higher pitch, distributes fat differently, decreases muscle mass and shrinks testicles over time and for women changing into men, it is just the opposite.

(Bushong, C., 2011). As this research has established, there are pros and cons to hormone therapy. It is in some ways, playing God, particularly during sexual reassignment treatments. It is, though rather risky, also beneficial as treatments to aid in cancer cessation and recovery but also in prevention. Risks certainly may outweigh the benefits but it is still being used as a method to help treat this disease. Research of the use of hormone therapy is constantly in the works but has deemed to have helped some people in their battles against cancer.

References American Cancer Society, (2011, October 12). Breast cancer overview: hormone therapy. American Cancer Society, Inc. Retrieved from http://www.cancer.org/Cancer/ BreastCancer/OverviewGuide/breast-cancer-overview-treating-hormone-therapy. Asscheman, H., Gooren, L.J.G, (1992). Hormone treatment in transsexuals. TransGender Care. Retrieved from http://www.transgendercare.com/medical/hormonal/hormone- tx_assch_gooren.htm. Bushnong, C. (2011). Transgendercare medical feminizing program.

TransGenderCare. Retrieved from http://www.transgendercare.com/medical/resources/ tmf_program/tmf_program_6.asp. Mayo Clinic Staff, ( 2010, February 19). Hormone therapy: is it right for you? Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hormone-therapy/WO00046. National Cancer Institute, (2011). Breast Cancer Treatment. National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health. Bethesda, Maryland. Retrieved from http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/breast/Patient/page5.

National Cancer Institute, (2011). Dictionary of Cancer Terms: Hormone Therapy. National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health. Bethesda, Maryland. Retrieved from http://www.cancer.gov/dictionary?cdrid=45110. National Cancer Institute, (2011). Prostrate Cancer Treatment. National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health. Bethesda, Maryland. Retrieved from http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/prostate/Patient/page4#Keypoint17 Stanford Medicine Cancer Institute, (2011).

Hormone therapy for cancer treatment. Stanford Medicine Cancer Institute. Stanford, California: Stanford Cancer Center. Retrieved from http://cancer.stanford.edu/information/cancerTreatment/methods/hormone.html. Warde, P., Manson, M., Ding, K. (2011 November 3). Adding radiation therapy to hormone therapy benefits men with locally advanced prostrate cancer. The Lancet and CancerConnect.com. Retrieved from http://news.cancerconnect.com/adding-radiation- therapy-to-hormone-therapy-benefits-men-with-locally-advanced-prostate-cancer/.