How is hormone therapy medical tx of prostate cancer?

The hormonal treatment of prostate cancer, in case of locally advanced or metastatic disease, aims to reduce circulating testosterone. Castration, whether medical or surgical, is the standard treatment. In cases of chemical castration by LH-RH analogues, the treatment is uninterrupted. Its usual side effects are low libido and erectile insufficiency, hot flashes and sometimes gynecomastia. In the long term, castration can be responsible for osteoporosis with risk of fractures, but also of amyotrophy, anemia or depression.