Androgen suppression, also called androgen ablation or androgen deprivation, is a medical treatment to suppress or block the production or action of male sex hormones, typically in order to attempt to treat certain types of cancer

Cancer

Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...

 that rely upon male hormones for its growth.

This is done by having the testicles removed, by taking female sex hormones, or by taking drugs called antiandrogen

Antiandrogen

Antiandrogens, or androgen antagonists, first discovered in the 1960s, prevent androgens from expressing their biological effects on responsive tissues. Antiandrogens alter the androgen pathway by blocking the appropriate receptors, competing for binding sites on the cell's surface, or affecting...

s.