Can we talk about boobs please? Man Boobs. ADT induced gynecomastia.

Thanks for your comment.
I totally agree, being alive is a gift!

Members may also be interested in these related discussions:
- Gynecomastia (male breast enlargement) bc of ADT-prevention/experience
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/gynecomastia-male-breast-enlargement-due-to-adt-can-it-be-prevented-1/
- Gynecomastia while taking hormone therapy for prostate cancer
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/gynecomastia-while-taking-hormone-therapy-for-prostate-cancer/
- Breast enlargement in men due to hormone therapy.
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/breast-enlargement-in-men-due-to-hormone-therapy/

Sam, I’m 71 and have the same symptoms here, my radiation (39x) ended the past of October 2023, and I only took the initial 6 month ADT shot. Not one of my team of doctors told me about all of these side effects! However my urologist is cool and now I’m getting some straight scoop. Gained mass around the mid section which was explained to me as side effect of the ADT. Now my shorts don’t fit, my shirts are too tight, I’ve put on weight, not a ton because I refuse to gain weight, I’m tired or fatigued but that is coming around now. Radiation proctitis, my stools are an event! Let’s say terrible event and numerous. I have had hair loss too, shrinkage, and a lot of other stuff to many to list.
People say I look great, I feel like crap. I’m coming up on a year from my first and only ADT shot June 30th. It has to get better.
Thanks for your original post!

Thank you for your comment and for sharing your experience. It really helps to hear what others have gone through with their treatments. I think that if the doctors explained all of the potential side effects from the treatments, more guys would choose not to go through the treatments. My problem now is that I know how the side effects were for me. Although I was able to tolerate side effects and complete the treatments, none have been very successful. My PSA was only undetectable for a couple months after doing 6 months of ADT. There have been three consecutive increases in my PSA in the past three months. My oncologist says there will most likely be more ADT for me in the near future. Something I am not looking forward to...

I have been on ADT for 3 years (Degaralix,Erleada).I’ve lost body hair as well as gained fat deposits on my inner thigh,belly and breasts.I was told this is an irreversible side effect.I am embarrassed to the point that I don’t wish to display the new me.Furthermore this came as a shock.I was not informed about these side effects.I guess if ADT is keeping the cancer in check that it’s better than meeting my maker.You have to live with the new reality.

I am truly touched to read these posts. I did not have ADT with my radiation treatments. However, I was not able to exercise (bike riding) as much during treatments and also began what I call sympathy eating to feel better.

I gained 30 lbs over the 30 treatments of proton radiation that took 7 weeks to do. My chest area and breast seemed to be the spot for most of my weight to go to. And developed what you posted man boops. I am ashamed about them and truly embarrassing.

I am trying to lose weight have lost 20 lbs. However the opposite is now where the fat is coming off. Not the chest but legs and waist. Started doing weight training, back to swimming, bike riding, on Nutrisystem and my worst concern is the embarrassment of having boops. I know how you feel guys and I did not even have ADT.

I feel your pain. Instead of being too embarrassed about my new reality I just joke about it with my friends. Many can relate even though they aren't PC patients.
The good thing for me is that my body hair is coming back and the chest hair is coming back very thick. There's just more surface to cover now that there was before ADT.

One of my heart medications has a side affect of breast enlargement in men. I just went on it about a month ago. Wish I could blame it but my chest fat was there long before it.

Not sure what a solution is and what others have done. I know the ADT is a factor but does it return to normal after your treatments? I remember (I think Seinfield episode) on man boops and making a man bra. Back then was funny now a condition of embarrassment.

I do agree that having large breast is something to accept when beating prostrate cancer and other treatments that cause it. Maybe Colleen should start another topic on this as I am sure a lot of men have gotten in not just from ADT but many other drugs that affect men and breast enlargement.

Last Sept or thereabouts I received some radiotherapy to halt any further breast enlargement. It seems to have worked so far. Very easy to tolerate, there were only 3 sessions not counting the simulation they used to develop a fixture. This was using electron beam, so not the usual photon beams. Because of that the depth of penetration was very shallow so no worries about secondary SEs.

What I had was very mild enlargement, just noticeable enough for my MO to agree that there was some gynocomastia. He explained the two main options, one taking a hormone pill, the other radiation.

I figure if when I get off the ADT in about a year if the tissue that had developed there bothers me I can always get surgery. That would be out of my own pocket though. I'm guessing less than $5k since only local anethesia is used.

I want to thank everyone that commented on my original post. Sorry for the long post here.
After reading everything here I contacted my Medical Oncologist and Radiation Oncologist to see what thought. Both of them are maybe in their early 30s. My Medical Oncologist said that the newer drugs has less of a chance of those side effects than older drugs. I said that the new drugs I was on Erleada and Orgovyx were what caused my gynecomastia. He replied that it wouldn't do any harm to talk to the Radiation Oncologist. The R.O. said the same thing as my M.O. , I said that it already happened and that I would be going back on ADT in the future. He agreed that treatment for it would be appropriate but that he did not do that procedure himself. But he was able to refer me to a Radiation Oncologist closer to home ( I live 2 1/2 hours away from my P.C. medical team).
The new R.O. was a man in his early seventies. At our first meeting I knew that he had read my whole Prostate cancer chart. He said "You have been through a lot in the past three years". He could name every one of the Doctors that had treated me and what treatments they did. Before he even examined me I also knew that he had actually looked a my most recent scans. He said that my left breast was larger than my right. And said it was likely because I already had radiation the the right breast area when I had the radiation treatments for a tumor in my right Hiluim (a lymph node attached to my right lung).
He told me about what the treatment entailed. It was just three short sessions of radiation to my breasts. He told me about some minor side effects. Asked if it was something I wanted to proceed with. I said yes but that my M.O. and other R.O. were less than enthusiastic about it though. He replied that was because they were young. He explained that back in the day when actual physical castration was standard treatment for advanced Prostate cancer this would have also been standard treatment. He said my others Oncologists are too young to have practiced when those treatments were standard.
I finished my last of the three radiation treatments Friday. Only side effect was a little redness.
I think that I will be back on some sort of ADT by the end of the month. I will have lab work done and see my Medical Oncologist Monday.