Prostate cancer therapy can increase risk of heart disease and death

Thursday, March 04, 2010 by: Ethan Huff
Tags: prostate cancer, heart disease, health news

(NewsTarget) A new report published in the American Cancer Society journal, CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, and in the American Heart Association journal, Circulation, reveals that androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT), a type of prostate cancer treatment, can increase heart risk factors and possibly lead to heart attack or cardiac death.

A writing group of experts from the American Heart Association, the American Cancer Society, the American Urological Association, and the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology published their findings that indicate that ADT leads to increased fat mass, increased low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, the "bad" form of cholesterol, and blood sugar abnormalities.

The goal of ADT is to reduce male hormonal levels in order to decrease the rate at which cancer cells grow and spread in the prostate. By limiting the two primary male androgens - testosterone and dihydrotestosterone - Western medicine theory purports that prostate cancer can be better combated. The American Cancer Society, however, admits that ADT and other forms of hormone therapy do not actually cure prostate cancer.

The advisory panel that oversaw the study noted that, while ADT does seem to increase one's risk of having future cardiovascular problems, the patient should evaluate whether the alleged benefits of ADT are worth it in comparison. The group also stressed its belief that prostate cancer patients should consult only the physician who is actually treating the cancer for help in making the decision, without referral to any other outside specialists.

Interestingly, studies pertaining to the effects of low testosterone levels in men have determined that the condition, known as hypogonadism, leads to cardiovascular disease and death. Low serum testosterone levels are also known to increase a man's risk of developing diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and dyslipidemia. Men who undergo ADT experience the same increased risk factors due to their testosterone levels being artificially reduced.

Many men who have undergone ADT also experience long-term difficulty achieving proper testosterone levels following the treatment. Many have reported that they are unable to sustain proper male hormonal levels at all following ADT, summoning them to a life of illness and premature death.

If ADT does not cure prostate cancer and permanently blocks male hormones from properly circulating in the body, why would anyone endorse such a treatment? There does not seem to be any logical answer to this question other than that it is recommended by mainstream cancer experts to assist in treatment; therefore, many simply jump on the bandwagon.

Sources:

Prostate cancer therapy can increase heart risk factors - American Cancer Society

Cardiovascular Risk With Androgen-Deprivation Therapy for Prostate Cancer - Medscape Today

Hormone (Androgen Deprivation) Therapy - American Cancer Society

Welcoming low testosterone as a cardiovascular risk factor - International Journal of Impotence Research

About the author

Ethan Huff is a freelance writer and health enthusiast who loves exploring the vast world of natural foods and health, digging deep to get to the truth. He runs an online health publication of his own at http://wholesomeherald.blogspot.com.