Hormones are natural substances in our body that are often called chemical messengers. They are responsible for many functions in our body, including the growth and activity of cells and organs. Some types of cancers use hormones to help them grow.
Hormone therapy is a type of cancer treatment that may work by blocking how the body makes hormones and/or interfering with how hormones behave in the body. Depending on the type of cancer, patients may be prescribed hormone therapy to slow or stop the cancer growth, decrease the chance that the cancer will return, and/or reduce symptoms of cancer.