What to expect from hormone therapy for womb cancer

Your pathology results help show whether hormone therapy is a reasonable option. It may be used when surgery is not possible, when cancer has returned or spread, or in a carefully selected plan for fertility-preserving care. Medicines may be taken as tablets or given in another form, depending on the drug. The aim is to slow growth or control disease; it is not the same as removing the womb.

Possible effects include tiredness, hot flushes, breast tenderness, fluid retention, mood changes and changes in bleeding. The effects vary with the medicine and your existing health conditions.

Take each dose on the agreed schedule and tell your team about other medicines, liver problems, clotting history, migraines or unexplained bleeding. Keep appointments for examinations and scans so the response can be assessed. A symptom diary can help connect changes with treatment. Ask before using hormonal products or supplements, because they may affect the treatment plan.

Report new or heavier vaginal bleeding, worsening pelvic pain, abdominal swelling, or breathlessness to your cancer team. Get urgent help for sudden chest pain, severe breathing difficulty, coughing blood, or painful swelling in one leg. These symptoms need prompt assessment rather than waiting for the next appointment.

Ask what the pathology shows about hormone sensitivity, what the medicine is intended to achieve, and how response will be checked. Clarify the dosing routine, likely side effects, warning symptoms, effects on fertility or sexual health, and what other treatments could be considered if the plan changes.