Androgen-Deprivation Therapy and Cardiovascular Events in Men With Prostate Cancer
Posted: Wednesday, January 29, 2020
Rishi Deka, PhD, of the University of California, San Diego, and colleagues suggest that men with prostate cancer who are treated with androgen-deprivation therapy may be at an increased risk of stroke and thromboembolic events. Their study data may be helpful for clinicians and patients when deciding appropriate care pathways in prostate cancer. Their findings were published in Prostate Cancer and Prostatic Diseases.
The observational cohort included 44,246 men diagnosed with nonmetastatic prostate cancer who received definitive radiation therapy with (n = 27,971) and without (n = 16,275) androgen-deprivation therapy at a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs center. The research team primarily examined the patients for stroke, transient ischemic attack, deep vein thrombosis, and pulmonary embolism.
After a median follow-up of 6.8 years, the cumulative incidence of stroke at 10 years was 6.0%. The cumulative incidences of transient ischemic attack, deep vein thrombosis, and pulmonary embolism at 10 years were 3.0%, 3.4%, and 1.9%. The investigators found a significant association between androgen-deprivation therapy and stroke (P < .01), transient ischemic attack (P < .01), and deep vein thrombosis (P < .01). Although the researchers did not find a significant relationship between androgen-deprivation therapy and pulmonary embolism (P = .08), there was a significant association in a subset of patients who received androgen-deprivation therapy for more than 1 year (P = .03).
“While the events are relatively uncommon, our results demonstrate the importance of monitoring for long-term cerebrovascular and thromboembolic effects of androgen-deprivation therapy and highlight the need to discuss these potential risks of this therapy with patients,” the research team concluded.
Disclosure: The study authors reported no conflicts of interest.
