The Newsroom  •  Published Monday, Mar. 13, 2006, 1:46 PM
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Understanding prostrate cancer hormone therapy 'syndrome'

Reuter's Health (Internet) 03/10/06 http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=healthNews&storyID=2006-03-10T194942Z_01_COL067858_RTRUKOC_0_US-PROSTATE-CANCER.xml Men with prostate cancer may be put on hormone therapy, to block testosterone production in an effort to halt or slow tumor growth. While some health effects of so-called "androgen deprivation therapy" (ADT) for prostate cancer are clearcut -- for example sexual dysfunction -- there is this whole set of less specific, more vague symptoms, like changes in mood, memory, feeling unwell, being tired. A new study suggests that these symptoms are likely due to the fact that the patients are older, sicker and have more advanced disease. "Androgen deprivation is probably not playing a big role in causing these symptoms," Dr. Vahakn B. Shahinian of the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston told Reuters Health. Based on the findings, he added, the therapy should not be avoided in patients for whom it is indicated based on concerns that they will develop symptoms collectively known as "androgen deprivation syndrome."



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