The risk of several adverse events is higher in patients who receive gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa) therapy for prostate cancer than in those who undergo orchiectomy, according to a new paper. In their population-based study of 3,295 men with metastatic prostate cancer, Sun et al. found that men who received GnRHa therapy had significantly increased risks of fracture, peripheral arterial disease and cardiac-related complications compared with patients who underwent bilateral orchiectomy. Patients on GnRHa therapy for ≥35 months were also at increased risk of venous thromboembolism and diabetes mellitus.
References
Sun, M. et al. Comparison of gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists and orchiectomy: effects of androgen-deprivation therapy. JAMA Oncol. http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jamaoncol.2015.4917 (2015)
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Kelsey, R. Increased adverse event risk with GnRHa therapy. Nat Rev Urol 13, 64 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrurol.2016.5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrurol.2016.5