Prostate Cancer News:

Men Treated With Hormonal Blockade Often Find Osteoporosis a Debilitating Side Effect

Men with early-stage prostate cancer who are treated with therapies designed to block production of the male hormone (androgen) often find that "osteoporosis is an important and debilitating side effect," according to University of California, San Francisco researchers.

"There is evidence of decreased bone mineral density with all types of androgen deprivation therapy, presumably due to its anti-testosterone effect," they reported in the Journal of Urology.

"Bone mineral density loss is 3 percent to 5 percent yearly in the first few years of androgen deprivation therapy with an increase in osteoporotic fracture incidence," the researchers found in their review of pertinent studies.

"Until more data are available, it is prudent for all men beginning androgen deprivation therapy to receive calcium and vitamin D, and maintain a moderate exercise regimen," the researchers concluded.

They said more research was needed to evaluate these and other preventive approaches including the effect of bisphosphonates, calcitonin, selective estrogen re-uptake inhibitors, estrogens and intermittent androgen deprivation therapy.

Source: Prostate Cancer Week of May 5, 2002