Learn

Prostate cancer is the most frequently diagnosed malignancy in men; it was estimated that more than 24 000 Australian men would be diagnosed with it in 2022. Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is often used in men with prostate cancer, but can cause severe hypogonadism, which accelerates bone mineral density loss. Androgen deprivation therapy is associated with 3–5% annual decline in bone mineral density in men with prostate cancer, including those without skeletal metastases. 

In one American study, bone mineral density declined by 2.5% at the hip and 4.0% at the lumbar spine during the first twelve months of ADT, whereas it did not change significantly in men with prostate cancer not receiving ADT, nor in age‐matched healthy controls. Androgen deprivation therapy has a cumulative effect on bone mineral density. In non‐metastatic prostate cancer, osteoporosis — defined as a dual‐energy x‐ray absorptiometry (DXA) T‐score of –2.5 or less at any measurement site — was identified in 35.4% of ADT‐naïve men, in 42.9% after two years of ADT, in 49.2% after four years, and in 80.6% after ten or more years of ADT.

This MJA research shares more.

Learning Outcomes

1. Explain key components of the research
2. List main findings
3. Recognise the importance of bone health assessment of men with prostate cancer.

Details

Authors: Mariya F Hamid, Amy Hayden, Tania Moujaber, Sandra Turner, Howard Gurney, Mathis Grossmann and Peter Wong

Article Type: Research