I was told at my first consultation that the hormone treatment basically stops the growth as the cancer cells feed off testosterone. I was told about the side affects and they are not good. I did a Decipher test and it came back a lower risk than my biopsies (intermediate) to low risk of metastasizing.

I did 30 proton treatments for prostrate and margins. I did not have an spread to bones (bone scan) nor surrounding organs tissues (PET scan).

From what I read the hormone treatments affect the testosterone and why it is such a shock to a man's system. You basically stop the production. What I was told was the radiation does not kill the cancer cells is damages it. Thus it cannot reproduce and eventually dies. This differs from the other prostrate cells and organs as they are damaged too but are capable of repairing themselves and growing back.

I follow up with a lot of research and found this information recurrent philosophy of radiation treatment. I am glad I did not have hormone treatment or the need to have it. A low risk diagnosis, and confined to prostrate does not have (at least in my case) a recommendation for hormone treatment.

I wish you good luck. From my information the hormone treatments help stop the growth of the cancer as you stop feeding it (needs testosterone to grow) and the radiation damages the cells not allowing it to repair and replace the cancer cells.

Do you have a good urologist and oncologist. These are questions for them. I would not stop at one consultation and get second and third opinions. Remember every case and person is different and that is important to understand and what happens with one person may not happen to you.