Cardiovascular Toxicities of Androgen Deprivation Therapy

April 2021 in “ Current Treatment Options in Oncology ”

Azariyas A. Challa, Adam Calaway, Jennifer Cullen, Jorge García, Nihar R. Desai, Neal L. Weintraub, Anita Deswal, Shelby Kutty, Ajay Vallakati, Daniel Addison, Ragavendra R. Baliga, Courtney Campbell, Avirup Guha

androgen deprivation therapy GnRH antagonists GnRH agonists prostate cancer

Studysummary This review discusses cardiovascular risks associated with androgen deprivation therapy in prostate cancer patients and highlights ongoing research, including the potential reduced COVID-19 susceptibility, but reports no new results.

Our plain-language summary. Not medical advice or a treatment recommendation. Consult a qualified healthcare professional before changing treatment. Full disclaimer

Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), a key treatment for prostate cancer, was linked to adverse cardiovascular events, with emerging data suggesting that GnRH antagonists might pose a lower cardiovascular risk compared to agonists. Ongoing clinical trials were evaluating the safety of various ADT modalities, and racial disparities in cardiovascular outcomes among prostate cancer patients were being investigated. Additionally, there was an intriguing potential connection between ADT and a reduced risk of COVID-19 infection and severity. Recognizing the cardiotoxicity of ADT and implementing aggressive risk factor modification were deemed crucial for optimal patient care.

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