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Hormone therapy for prostate cancer not associated with cardiovascular problems

Category: Prostate

For men who have had lab testing reveal that they have aggressive forms of prostate cancer, hormone therapy may be one of the most effective approaches to treating the condition, according to a new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Hormone therapy has been shown to be effective at killing tumors and preventing their recurrence. However, questions lingered about the risk of side effects and the chances that the treatment may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.

In the present study, researchers from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston analyzed the results of previous investigations into the effects of hormone therapy. The results confirmed that it is in fact effective. They also indicated that there is little risk of heart disease associated with hormone therapy.

The findings may have the greatest relevance for men who have received lab test results indicating they have a relatively poor prognosis. Androgen deprivation therapy is one of the most effective treatments for this aggressive type of cancer, but some doctors may have avoided it in recent years due to fears of cardiovascular complications.