These words can sound frightening, but they are not a judgment on your future.
“Hormone-sensitive” and “hormone-resistant” are simply ways doctors describe how prostate cancer is behaving at a particular point in time. They do not mean that treatment options have run out, and they do not define how long someone will live.
In simple terms
Hormone-sensitive prostate cancer still responds when testosterone is lowered.
Hormone-resistant prostate cancer has adapted to grow despite testosterone being kept very low — but effective treatments still exist.
What hormone-sensitive means
Prostate cancer often relies on testosterone (and related hormones) to grow. Hormone therapy works by lowering testosterone to very low levels or blocking its effect.
When a cancer is described as hormone-sensitive, it means that when testosterone is reduced:
• the cancer usually shrinks or stabilises
• PSA levels often fall
• symptoms may improve
This phase usually lasts for years, and many people do very well during this time.
What hormone-resistant means
Hormone-resistant (also called castration-resistant) prostate cancer means the cancer has adapted to grow even though testosterone levels are already very low.
This does not mean:
• treatment has failed
• there are no options left
• the cancer is suddenly aggressive
It simply means the cancer is no longer controlled by hormone therapy alone, and treatment needs to be adjusted.
Why hormone therapy is often continued
Even when prostate cancer becomes hormone-resistant, testosterone suppression usually remains part of treatment. This is because the cancer can still partly rely on hormone signalling, even after it has adapted.
Think of hormone therapy as the foundation, with other treatments added on top when needed.
A key reassurance
Hormone-resistant does not mean “end-stage” prostate cancer.