Hormone deprivation therapy is used for both men and women. For men its used during prostate cancer. For women its used to treat breast cancer. It's an inhumane medical approach that causes additional diseases as a result of the side effects.

Women undergo estrogen deprivation therapy for breast cancer most often. This complete blockade of the production of estrogen causes a series of side effects - some uncomfortable and others very dangerous. Women who undergo these therapies generally develop insulin resistance, osteoporosis, heart disease, anxiety, insomnia, hot flushes, tremor, memory loss, loss of energy and depression just to list the most common and most troublesome.

A recent study examined women undergoing estrogen blockade therapy by way of tamoxifen administration as well as women who had underwent the therapy and survived breast cancer. 38 women were given the same type of hormone replacement therapy offered to post menopausal women - a combination of estrogen and progesterone. 37 women were chosen as a control group who received no hormone replacement therapy.

Subjects were required to complete three questionnaires over the course of a year - two were EORC Quality of Life (QLQ) questionnaires specifically for cancer patients. The third was the standard Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS).

The results were significant. The hormone replacement group had a reduction in insomnia, anxiety and depression while they also saw a simultaneous increase in cognition, memory, social functionality and quality of life. The most exciting part was that these positive effects of hormone replacement therapy were to the greatest degree in the subjects still receiving tamoxifen therapy.

If you know someone who is undergoing estrogen blockade therapy you may want to mention this to them so they can discuss it with their doctor. I've referenced the study below so they should be able to find it on PubMed and bring it to their doctor.

Climacteric. 2010 Mar 2. [Epub ahead of print]

Health-related quality of life during hormone therapy after breast cancer: a randomized trial.

Department of Surgery, Capio St Görans Hospital, Stockholm.

PMID: 20196640 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]