HGH and Cancer Treatment

The problem is two-fold – first comes cancer, and then there is the potential for growth hormone deficiency. Treatment with radiation and chemotherapy can alter and decrease hormone production, leaving a person with many symptoms that can impact daily life.

For that reason, the use of HGH and cancer treatment follow-up is often discussed.

HGH therapy uses bioidentical human growth hormones to supplement what the body is not producing. Hormone secretion relies on a delicate balance – many of these chemical messengers have the sole purpose of stimulating other such hormones, creating a multi-level effect when many chemicals are affected.

In the case of HGH, the hormone insulin growth factor 1 will also decline if the liver does not receive enough of a growth hormone signal to stimulate IGF-1 production.

While it is still rare to see concurrent human growth hormone & cancer treatment, it is increasingly common to see people receiving HGH upon entering remission and being cleared by their oncologists.

Studies around the world are backing up the use of HGH after cancer treatment. One area that has received much attention is childhood cancer survivors. Here, linear growth is often affected in a child’s body is no longer producing enough human growth hormone to fuel growth during puberty. Treatment with HGH following radiotherapy or surgery for cancer does not increase the risk of subsequent central nervous system tumors.

Dr. Roger Abs, former head of the Department of Endocrinology at University Hospital of Antwerp, Belgium stated that HGH deficiency among pediatric cancer survivors who had received radiation exposure to the pituitary gland or hypothalamus is common. Results shown in the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (CCSS) disputed an increase in the risk of developing meningioma or glioma. As a result, HGH therapy is deemed valuable to improve the quality of life in patients with human growth hormone deficiency following cancer treatment. The data in the report supports the safety and use for adult HGH treatment for childhood brain tumor survivors. With the plethora of research already done on children, it is also safe to translate this data to adults who have been successfully treated for cancer.

The recommendation does not extend to the use of joint HGH and cancer treatment at this time. Although some doctors and researchers are studying a form of gene therapy using HGH with cancer treatment, not enough information is available at present to promote this use.

Does HGH Increase Cancer Risk?

The other question is whether or not there is an increased growth hormone treatment cancer risk for people who have not been diagnosed with cancer at this time.

Does HGH use increase the potential for the development of cancer?

The answer here is not black and white – no one response can be guaranteed. The reason some people are concerned about the use of HGH regarding cancer is that HGH, along with IGF-1, stimulates cell reproduction. In theory, this would mean that cancer cells could be regenerated at an increased rate. That is also the basis for why HGH therapy is not given alongside cancer treatment.

Another issue is that higher than normal levels of IGF-1 have been linked to an increased breast and prostate cancer risk. Although this increase is minimal, it is important that doctors check a person’s blood for the markers that could indicate the presence of cancer before prescribing treatment with HGH therapy.

The biggest risk is for those individuals who enter into the use of HGH without doctor approval and supervision. There is currently high demand on the black market for HGH among athletes and bodybuilders. The underlying fear is that people who purchase HGH without first being cleared for its use could be putting their health and bodies at risk in many ways.

A doctor who is thorough in his or her testing will be able to tell from blood analysis if there is the possibility of serious health issues before prescribing HGH injections.

For additional information about hormone replacement with HGH and cancer treatment, contact Kingsberg Medical for a confidential, no-cost consultation with a hormone specialist.