Do you need a referral for hormone therapy for cancer?

The administrative requirement varies by healthcare facility. Ask the oncology clinic whether it needs a referral letter and which pathology, imaging and treatment records must arrive before your appointment. Cancer hormone therapy should not be confused with hormone replacement therapy used for menopausal symptoms.

Some cancers use hormone signals to grow. Hormone therapy can reduce the body's production of a hormone or interfere with the signal reaching cancer cells. Pathology findings, the cancer type and the treatment setting help determine whether this approach is relevant.

Treatment may involve tablets, injections or medicines given with other cancer therapies. The choice also reflects previous treatment, other health conditions, current medicines and the side effects most relevant to you. A prescription suitable for one hormone-sensitive cancer may not be suitable for another.

Provide the oncology team with your pathology report, scan results, operation records and details of past cancer treatment. Bring every prescription, non-prescription medicine and supplement you use, because some products can interact with treatment or affect hormone pathways.

Tell the clinician about blood clots, heart or liver problems, bone health concerns, pregnancy, breastfeeding and future fertility plans. Ask how the medicine will be taken, what monitoring is expected and which adverse effects should trigger a call. Follow the prescribed schedule and check with the team before changing a dose.

Report new or worsening symptoms to the oncology team, particularly leg swelling or pain, unexpected vaginal bleeding, yellowing of the skin or eyes, severe headache, marked mood changes or side effects that stop you eating, drinking or completing normal activities. The team can check whether treatment or another condition is responsible.

Seek emergency care for chest pain, sudden breathlessness, coughing blood, fainting, new weakness on one side or difficulty speaking. Do not wait for a routine oncology appointment when these warning signs occur.

You may want to ask which pathology finding shows that hormone therapy could help, what the treatment is intended to achieve, how it fits with surgery or other medicines, and how the team will evaluate benefit and side effects.