Hormone Therapy a Greater Risk for Some Prostate Cancer Patients

Older men with prostate cancer and a history of heart problems are at higher risk of dying from hormone therapy, a new study finds.

Using hormone therapy to reduce testosterone levels and force prostate tumors to either grow slower or shrink is a common treatment for prostate cancer. The therapy has been proven effective in treating men with advanced forms of prostate cancer when used along with radiation and surgery.

However, a study in this week’s Journal of the American Medical Association finds an increased risk of death when hormone therapy is used in older men who had a history of heart failure or heart attack.

The observational study led by the Harvard Radiation Oncology Program in Boston followed more than 5,000 men, mostly in their 60s and 70s, who were diagnosed with prostate cancer that had not spread. Every man in the study had undergone brachytherapy, a type of radiation treatment and one in three also received hormone therapy for an average of four months.

The group was followed for five years, during which time, 43 percent of men with a history of heart failure or heart attack died. Hormone treatment was associated with a 96-percent increase in the risk of death, the researchers said.

Of the 95 men on hormone therapy who also had a history of serious heart problems, 25 died. Of the 161 men not on hormone therapy who also had a history of heart problems, only 18 died, according to an Associated Press report on the study.

There are some questions about the validity of the study results. Because it was an observational study, the men chose their own treatments and doctors rather than having them randomly assigned by researchers, which could mean other factors were at play in the increased risks of death.

Still, it’s not the first time hormone therapy has been linked to greater risks of death. Other studies have found that hormone therapy, when added to radiation, is no help to some men who are battling advanced forms of prostate cancer.

While some patients benefit from hormone therapy, it can be dangerous when used in the wrong patients, some doctors say. Among the risks of hormone therapy are increased insulin resistance, cholesterol, and fat.

No related posts.