Does Hormonal Therapy for Prostate Cancer Raise Mortality Risk?

Androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) in combination with external beam radiotherapy yields benefits in both cancer-specific and overall survival in prostate cancer patients with poor-risk features. However, recent evidence suggests an association between use of ADT and serious adverse effects, including development of insulin resistance and excess risk for cardiovascular-related death.

To assess whether neoadjuvant ADT affects risk for all-cause mortality in men with prostate cancer, investigators retrospectively assessed 5077 consecutive patients (median age, 69.5) with T1 to T3 N0 M0 disease who underwent brachytherapy at a single practice from 1997 to 2006. Approximately 52% of the men had no histories of comorbidities, 43% had one coronary…