Already in 2015, a Stanford University study (United States) demonstrated that antiandrogen treatments against Prostate cancer favored the development of Alzheimer’s disease. These findings are confirmed by a new study from the University of Pennsylvania, which has just been published in the JAMA Network Open. Although they are not yet able to clarify how hormone therapy for prostate cancer is related to dementia, researchers find that 13% of men who took hormone therapy developed Alzheimer’s diseasecompared to 9% of men who received no treatment or received different treatment.
Know the risks before opting for hormonal treatment
For this study, 154,000 patients with an average age of 70 years and with prostate cancer were followed for 8 years. And although the link is not yet explained, the researchers stress the importance of discussing the potential risks and benefits when choosing a treatment for prostate cancer, due to theimpact of Alzheimer’s disease on the lives of patients and their families.
Anti-androgen treatments are prescribed to reduce the level of male hormones, called androgens, in the body because these androgens stimulate the growth of cancer cells. Combined with radiotherapy, they would make it possible to prolong patient survival.
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