Prostate Cancer Therapy Hampers Sex Life

Men who take hormonal therapy to treat early-stage prostate cancer are twice as likely to suffer sexual problems than men who forgo treatment, according to a new study. And researchers say the negative side effects of the popular treatment may come with few proven benefits in fighting the disease itself.

About 90% of the 180,000 men in the U.S. diagnosed with prostate cancer each year are diagnosed at an early stage of the disease, when the cancer has not spread to other areas. Approximately 40% of these men are initially treated without surgery or radiation because the risks of the aggressive treatment may be too great. These men are either treated with hormone therapy or adopt a "watch-and-wait" approach without treatment.

Prostate cancer grows in response to male sex hormones, such as testosterone. Hormone therapy for prostate cancer is called androgen deprivation therapy, or ADT. The man is given a medication that decreases the level of male sex hormones -- called androgens -- in the body.