Hormone Therapy Might Be Unnecessary For Some Prostate Cancer Patients

Key TakeawaysSome men with prostate cancer might be able to skip hormone therapyFollowing surgery, there was no significant difference in survival between men who did and didn’t get hormone therapyHowever, there was a modest survival benefit for men with high PSA levels.MONDAY, March 2, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Some men who’ve had surgery for prostate cancer can probably skip hormone suppression therapy without harm, a new study says.Men typically undergo radiation and hormone therapy following prostate cancer surgery to reduce the risk of their cancer coming back.However, the hormone therapy appears to provide little survival benefit for most of these men, researchers reported Feb. 26 in The Lancet.“Our findings show that for most men with detectable but low PSA levels after surgery to remove the prostate, post-operative radiotherapy is highly effective on its own,” said lead researcher Dr. Amar Kishan, executive vice chair of radiation oncology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.“By safely omitting hormone therapy in these patients, we can potentially spare them months of treatment that may substantially affect their quality of life without extending survival,” he said in a news release.Hormone therapy blocks the production of testosterone, which fuels the growth of some prostate cancers, researchers said in background notes.The treatment “has been shown to improve outcomes when combined with radiotherapy in men whose prostates are still intact,” Kishan said. “However, whether it has a similar benefit for men receiving radiotherapy after prior surgery has remained unclear.”Hormone therapy also carries significant side effects for men, including severe fatigue, hot flashes, sexual dysfunction, weight gain, bone loss and increased risk of heart disease, researchers said.For the new study, researchers analyzed data from more than 6,000 men who took part in six clinical trials comparing radiation therapy alone to radiation combined with short-term or long-term hormone therapy.Results showed that about the same percentage of men were alive after 10 years whether or not they got hormone therapy – around 84%.Researchers also found that extending short-term hormone therapy to long-term did not further improve survival, but did modestly lower the risk of cancer spreading to other parts of the body.However, men with higher PSA levels did show modest improvements in survival, suggesting that hormone therapy might be worthwhile for them. PSA (prostate-specific antigen) is produced by the prostate gland, and elevated levels can be a sign of prostate cancer.“Our goal is always to treat the cancer while minimizing harm,” Kishan said. “This study helps us move toward more personalized care for men with prostate cancer. By better identifying who truly benefits from hormone therapy, we can make treatment smarter, reduce unnecessary interventions and focus on improving patients’ overall well-being.”More informationThe American Cancer Society has more on prostate cancer treatment.SOURCE: UCLA, news release, Feb. 26, 2026 .What This Means For YouMen who’ve undergone prostate cancer surgery might be able to skip hormone therapy, especially if they have low PSA levels..Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter