Prostate Cancer Therapy More Likely to Increase Risks of Alzheimer’s Disease

Androgen Deprivation Therapy (ADT) group had significantly more Alzheimer's diagnoses in the years following the initiation of the therapy than Non-ADT group.

Patients taking androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer are twice likely to develop Alzheimer's disease than men not taking ADT, revealed a new study.

While the research in the December 7 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncologystopped short of showing any definitive cause-and-effect between ADT and Alzheimer's, scientists said the association raises concern and merits further study.

Prostate Cancer Patients Who Opt for ADT Should also Undergo Counseling for Improving Mental and Emotional Well-Being
Treating prostate cancer patients with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) can lead to changes in mental and emotional well-being of the patients during treatment.

‘The longer the prostate cancer patients take Androgen Deprivation Therapy (ADT), the greater their risk of Alzheimer's disease.’

"We wanted to contribute to the discussion regarding the relative risks and benefits of ADT, and no one had yet looked at the association between ADT and Alzheimer's disease," said lead author Kevin Nead, a doctor at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

"Based on the results of our study, an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease is a potential adverse effect of ADT, but further research is needed before considering changes to clinical practice," he added.

The findings are based on two large sets of medical records, covering about five million patients, of whom 16,888 received a diagnosis of prostate cancer. Some 2,400 of the prostate cancer patients had received ADT, and had the necessary follow-up records for the data analysis, the study said.

Shorter Course of ADT for High-Risk Prostate Cancer Patients Results in a Better Quality of Life
High-risk prostate cancer patients who receive radiation therapy (RT) and an 18-month course of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) recover a normal testosterone level in a very short time compared to those who receive a 36-month course of ADT.

Researchers compared the ADT patients with a control group of non-ADT prostate cancer patients, and found that the ADT group had significantly more Alzheimer's diagnoses in the years following the initiation of androgen-lowering therapy.

"By the most sophisticated measure, members of the ADT group were about 88 percent more likely to get Alzheimer's during the follow-up period," said the study.

Use of ADT For Treatment of Prostate Cancer Linked With Increased Risk of Kidney Injury: Study
In a study that included more than 10,000 men with nonmetastatic prostate cancer, use of ADT was associated with a significantly increased risk of acute kidney injury.

About a half million men in the United States take ADT, a therapy that suppresses production of the male hormones known as androgens, which can play a key role in stimulating prostate cell growth.

Side-effects of reducing androgen activity can include low testosterone levels, impotence, obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and depression. Previous studies have suggested that low levels of the hormone testosterone may weaken the aging brain's resistance to Alzheimer's.

Significant Weight Gain Observed in 70 Percent of Prostate Cancer Patients on ADT
Seventy per cent of men who received androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) after surgery to remove their prostate gland gained significant weight in the first year, putting on an average of 4.

Source-AFP