Good for the Prostate, Bad for the Brain?
Reported July 31, 2008
(Ivanhoe Newswire) — A common treatment for men with prostate cancer may be negatively impacting their ability to think and reason clearly.
Researchers who reviewed previous studies on hormone deprivation therapy, also called androgen depletion therapy, found between 47 percent and 60 percent of men on the treatment saw a drop in at least one area of cognition. Processes that depend on spatial ability were among the most commonly affected, as were those linked to higher-order skills, such as the ability to do more than one thing at once.
How does the treatment impact the brain? The authors explain hormone deprivation therapy depletes the male hormone testosterone, which is known to feed prostate cancer tumors. But testosterone also plays a key role in modulating brain chemicals called neurotransmitters and fostering connections between neurons — two processes vital to the ability to think and reason.
Since more and more men are being given the treatment — including some who have not been diagnosed with prostate cancer but do have high PSA levels — the investigators believe more needs to be done to ensure doctors are aware of the potential effects of the therapy on the brain.
They also note previous research has linked the therapy to other problems as well, ranging from hot flashes and osteoporosis to erectile dysfunction and the risk of serious diseases like diabetes and heart disease.
The study was led by researchers from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City.
SOURCE: CANCER, published online July 28, 2008.
