Hormone Therapy in Cancer

Abstract

As remarked earlier, the first endocrine procedure for the treatment of cancer was carried out in 1895 by Sir George Beatson. He performed oophorectomy in women with breast cancer and noted regression of metastatic deposits. The next advance came in 1941 when Huggins used oestrogens or orchidectomy to treat prostatic cancer. With the development of synthetic steroids it is not surprising that the role of hormones in the treatment of cancer has expanded considerably in recent years. Hormones are now used not only for treatment purposes but form an integral part of the overall management of the cancer patient. Recent advances in the understanding of the molecular role of hormones and the nature of receptors has encouraged a fresh look at hormones and cancer (see p. 74).