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DHEA is an adrenal hormone sold as an anti-ageing supplement. The body converts it into oestrogen and testosterone, so it should not be taken by people with hormone-sensitive breast or prostate cancer: it is linked to tamoxifen resistance and to prostate cancer growing despite hormone treatment. A prescribed vaginal form for dryness is a separate matter for your team.
DHEA and its sulfate are the most abundant adrenal hormones and are precursors of oestrogens and androgens. Memorial Sloan Kettering's About Herbs entry records that higher DHEA levels have been associated with increased ovarian and breast cancer risk in premenopausal women, that elevated DHEA-S contributed to tamoxifen resistance and disease progression in breast cancer, that a patient with advanced prostate cancer had a flare while taking DHEA, and that in men on androgen deprivation for recurrent prostate cancer, rising DHEA and androsterone were associated with a shorter time to castration resistance. MSK states that DHEA should not be used with tamoxifen. Outside cancer, DHEA did not improve muscle mass, physical performance, cognition or perimenopausal symptoms in older people. Vaginal DHEA improved painful intercourse and genitourinary symptoms in menopausal women and in female cancer survivors, and improved vaginal cytology in women with breast or gynaecological cancers; that is a local treatment whose safety in hormone-sensitive cancer is a decision for the treating team. Side effects include acne and, at high doses, mania.
A prohormone converted in tissues into oestradiol, testosterone and dihydrotestosterone, which is exactly what hormonal treatments for breast and prostate cancer aim to remove or block.
Query for this technology: (TITLE:"DHEA dehydroepiandrosterone supplements" OR ABSTRACT:"DHEA dehydroepiandrosterone supplements" OR TITLE:"DHEA" OR ABSTRACT:"DHEA" OR TITLE:"Dehydroepiandrosterone" OR ABSTRACT:"Dehydroepiandrosterone" OR TITLE:"DHEA-S" OR ABSTRACT:"DHEA-S") AND (cancer OR tumor OR tumour OR oncology OR carcinoma OR lymphoma OR leukemia OR leukaemia OR myeloma OR sarcoma OR melanoma OR glioma). Results are unfiltered search hits about DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone) supplements, not a curated reading list.
Shares Red clover isoflavones, Dietary supplements during cancer treatment: interactions and harms, Evidence-based integrative oncology, Misinformation and unproven therapies and the tags complementary, supportive-care.
Shares Wild yam and 'natural progesterone' creams, Dietary supplements during cancer treatment: interactions and harms, Evidence-based integrative oncology, Endocrine therapy (SERMs, AIs, SERDs) and the tags complementary, supportive-care.
Shares Red clover isoflavones, Dietary supplements during cancer treatment: interactions and harms, Evidence-based integrative oncology, Toxicity and quality of life are undervalued and the tags complementary, supportive-care.
Shares Diindolylmethane (DIM), Dietary supplements during cancer treatment: interactions and harms, Evidence-based integrative oncology, Misinformation and unproven therapies and the tags complementary, supportive-care.
Shares Red clover isoflavones, Dietary supplements during cancer treatment: interactions and harms, Evidence-based integrative oncology, Toxicity and quality of life are undervalued and the tags complementary, supportive-care.
Shares Tamoxifen, Dietary supplements during cancer treatment: interactions and harms, Evidence-based integrative oncology, Misinformation and unproven therapies and the tags complementary, supportive-care.
Shares Tamoxifen, Dietary supplements during cancer treatment: interactions and harms, Evidence-based integrative oncology, Toxicity and quality of life are undervalued and the tags complementary, supportive-care.
Shares Dietary supplements during cancer treatment: interactions and harms, Evidence-based integrative oncology, Misinformation and unproven therapies, Toxicity and quality of life are undervalued and the tags complementary, supportive-care.
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