Androgens, are produced mostly in the testicles and cause prostate cancer cells to grow. Lowering androgen levels can make prostate cancer shrink or grow more slowly. However, hormone therapy will not cure the cancer and is often used when other treatments such as surgery or radiation are not good options.
New research shows a common treatment for prostate cancer significantly increases the risk of fractures.For the study researchers studied men with prostate cancer who were being treated with gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists. This is known as androgen deprivation therapy.
After comparing the fracture incidence of more than 3,800 men with prostate cancer who received hormone therapy to more than 7,700 men with prostate cancer who did not receive hormone therapy, researchers found a significantly higher rate of fractures among those on hormone therapy. The hormone group was about 40-percent more likely to have a fracture. The incidence of fractures in the hormone group was 83 percent compared to 56 percent among those who did not receive hormone therapy.
Thus researchers conclude saying that screening for osteoporosis and interventions to prevent fractures should be implemented in standard care.