Cancerbackup: Side effects

Skip the page content navigation if you do not require links to content sections within this page.

Page Content Navigation

Skip the main banner if you do not want to read it as the next section.

Page Banner

Want to speak to a specialist cancer nurse? Call free on 0808 800 1234


Skip the main content if you do not want to read it as the next section.

Q&As on this topic

1. I am having hormone treatment for prostate cancer. This is causing troublesome hot flushes. Is there anything that can be done about this?

last reviewed: 02.08.2005

2. I have recently had treatment for prostate cancer which has left me impotent. I am finding this difficult to cope with. What can I do?

last reviewed: 02.08.2005

3. I had an abdominal operation to remove cancer last year. My surgeon is now saying that I have adhesions. What does this mean?

last reviewed: 11.12.2007

4. I have prostate cancer and am about to start taking hormone tablets called Casodex®. I have been told that this can cause men to grow breasts. Is there anything I can do to prevent this?

last reviewed: 08.06.2007

5. I am going to have radiotherapy to my pelvis. The doctor has told me this could cause cystitis. I've heard that drinking cranberry juice might help. Is this true?

last reviewed: 03.04.2006

6. I am taking hormone tablets (Casodex®) for prostate cancer. Over the last few months my breasts have started to get bigger and are painful at times. Are there any treatments I can have for this?

last reviewed: 17.05.2007

7. I am taking hormone tablets (Casodex) for prostate cancer. These have caused my breasts to enlarge, and sometimes they are painful. A friend has said that a drug called tamoxifen could help, but I thought this was for women with breast cancer?

last reviewed: 01.12.2004

8. The hormone treatment I am taking for prostate cancer has caused my breasts to become very painful. I have read that tamoxifen can help. My wife use to take tamoxifen and is now taking anastrozole for breast cancer. Would that be better?

last reviewed: 01.06.2006

All Q&As are selected from some of the thousands asked by people contacting Cancerbackup every year. They are answered by specialists and reviewed and updated regularly.


Get support 

Look for other people in the same situation on our What Now? community - read their blogs or talk to them in our chat rooms.

Find out about other ways to get support on the main Macmillan website.
Q&As

Resources