It is commonly known that men on Hormone Therapy (ADT) often experience many physical and psychological side effects from the treatment. Many of my posts have discussed the physical side effects, but I have not adequately explored the adverse psychological side effects that many of us experience when we are on ADT! Besides memory issues [...]
The newest gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonist therapy drug, degarelix (aka Firmagon) has become more commonly used in everyday clinical practice as an alternative hormone therapy treatment drug (ADT). Given that its use has become common it is important to understand both its safety and efficacy as compared to our older standard drugs. The best way [...]
New information about a possible bad side effect of hormone therapy (ADT) for men with prostate cancer was just published and it is frightening for men on hormone therapy (ADT). The findings are a result of a joint study conducted by researchers at Penn University Medicine with researchers from Stanford University. What is it that [...]
Understanding a little about the prostate gland and its biology is not only interesting, but it allows us to ask some important questions that can positively inform our treatment decisions and eventually the outcomes. On the other hand, it also can add to the confusion we all face in making the best clinical decisions. Like [...]
In an online article published Friday, November 6, 2015 Dr. David Crawford raises some very serious questions about how we standardly use hormone therapy (ADT) in the treatment of men with advanced prostate cancer. He claimed that not only is it vital for initial positive outcomes, it is vital for the successful use of the [...]
It has been long assumed that hormone therapy (ADT) used in the treatment of men with advanced prostate cancer increases a man’s risk for developing potentially live threatening thromboembolic disease (formation in a blood vessel of a clot (thrombus) that breaks loose and is carried by the blood stream to plug another vessel. The clot [...]
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries has received approval and launched, in the United States, a generic version of the Avodart (dutasteride) capsules at the 0.5 mg dose. Avodart, 5-alpha reductase inhibitor, is FDA approved for the treatment of men with benign prostate hyperplasia (an enlarged prostate gland), however, although not approved; men often use it as a [...]
The standard of care and the facts are simple. Men who have aggressive prostate cancer and elect to have radiation therapy will benefit from six months of concurrent hormone therapy (ADT). However, based on recent findings by D’Amico etal, there seems to be a segment of men who will not benefit, but will have inferior [...]
Traditional hormone therapy usually consists of two types of drugs; GnRH agonists (like Lupron and Zoladex) and antiandrogens (Casodex). Although they both are drugs that manipulate the hormone system their modes of action are different. GnRH agonists block the production of the male hormone testosterone while the antiandrogen drug blocks the ability of the prostate [...]
During last year’s American Society of Clinical Oncologists (ASCO) Annual Meeting, data was released from the STAMPEDE trial which should change clinical practice around the world. The trial results showed that newly diagnosed men with very aggressive prostate cancer that was still hormone therapy naive (no ADT) would have a very significant survival advantage by [...]
