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Risk of Hormone Treatment for Prostate Cancer
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Hormone therapy is a common treatment for prostrate cancer. Research published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology however shows that hormone therapy may increase the risk for the development of diabetes and heart disease.
Prostate cancer is a disease in which cancer develops in the prostate- a walnut-sized gland that sits just below the bladder. Men with prostate problems can present with pain or difficultly with urination or blood in the urine. Testosterone, the hormone that is responsible for many male characteristics, can stimulate growth of the cancerous prostate cells. Hormone therapy for prostate cancer patients involves blocking testosterone production. This is commonly achieved by administering a gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist or by removing the testes, a procedure known as bilateral orchiectomy. This may result in an increase in fat mass and insulin resistance. A study was conducted to find out if patients receiving hormone therapy were at risk for developing diabetes and heart disease. The study enrolled more than 73,000 men, 66 and older, diagnosed with prostate cancer.
More than one-third of the enrolled patients received GnRH therapy during the study. Patients receiving this treatment had a nearly 45 percent increased risk of developing diabetes, a 16 percent increased risk of coronary heart disease and sudden cardiac death, and an 11 percent greater risk of a heart attack. Patients who had an orchiectomy had a one-third greater chance of developing diabetes, but did not face greater risk of coronary heart disease, heart attack, or sudden cardiac death. Based on these findings, hormone therapy for prostate cancer may be associated with an increased risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Patients and doctors should carefully weigh the consequences before starting the hormone therapy.
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