Androgen Deprivation Therapy for Prostate Cancer Increases Risk of Depression

Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is the most commonly used non-surgical treatments for prostate cancer. Many doctors have been recommending this treatment for men with prostate cancer as it improves their quality of life.//

But a new study has revealed that ADT may increase the risk of developing depression among men who receive this hormone therapy than who do not get this treatment.

Use of ADT For Treatment of Prostate Cancer Linked With Increased Risk of Kidney Injury: Study
In a study that included more than 10,000 men with nonmetastatic prostate cancer, use of ADT was associated with a significantly increased risk of acute kidney injury.

‘Men who receive androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) as part of their treatment for prostate cancer may be at higher risk of developing depression. ’

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The study was led by researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) who found a significant association between depression and patients being treated for localized prostate cancer (PCa) by androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). The findings were published online in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

"We know that patients on hormone therapy often experience decreased sexual function, weight gain and have less energy - many factors that could lead to depression. After taking a deeper look, we discovered a significant association between men being treated with ADT for PCa and depression," said senior author Dr. Paul Nguyen.

"This is a completely under-recognized phenomenon. Around 50,000 men are treated with this therapy each year. It's important not only for patients to know the potential side effects of the drugs they're taking, but also for the physicians to be aware of this risk in order to recognize signs of depression in these patients and refer them for appropriate care," said Nguyen, who is also the director of Prostate Brachytherapy at BWH.

Significant Weight Gain Observed in 70 Percent of Prostate Cancer Patients on ADT
Seventy per cent of men who received androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) after surgery to remove their prostate gland gained significant weight in the first year, putting on an average of 4.

"Patients and physicians must weigh the risks and benefits of ADT, and this additional risk of depression may make some men even more hesitant to use this treatment, especially in clinical scenarios where the benefits are less clear, such as intermediate-risk disease."

Researchers reviewed data from the SEER Medicare-linked database from 1992 to 2006 of 78,552 men over the age of 65 with stage I to III PCa. They investigated the association between ADT and a diagnosis of depression or confirmation of inpatient or outpatient psychiatric treatment. Additionally, they looked at the association between duration of ADT and depression.

Prostate Cancer Therapy More Likely to Increase Risks of Alzheimer�s Disease
Androgen Deprivation Therapy (ADT) group had significantly more Alzheimer's diagnoses in the years following the initiation of the therapy than Non-ADT group.

When compared to patients who did not receive the therapy, researchers found that the patients who received ADT had higher incidences of depression and inpatient and outpatient psychiatric treatment.

Adjusted analyses demonstrated that patients who received ADT had a 23 percent increased risk of depression, a 29 percent increased risk of inpatient psychiatric treatment, and a non-significant 7 percent increased risk of outpatient psychiatric treatment when compared with patients not being treated with ADT.

Shorter Course of ADT for High-Risk Prostate Cancer Patients Results in a Better Quality of Life
High-risk prostate cancer patients who receive radiation therapy (RT) and an 18-month course of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) recover a normal testosterone level in a very short time compared to those who receive a 36-month course of ADT.

The risk of depression increased with the duration of ADT, from 12 percent with less than six months to 26 percent from 7 to 11 months of treatment, to 37 percent with patients being treated for 12 months or longer. A similar duration effect was seen for inpatient and outpatient psychiatric treatment.

Researchers encourage future studies to focus on interventions that could successfully reduce this risk and to examine whether particular subpopulations are at a higher risk, such as patients with a history of depression.

Source-Eurekalert