Hormonal therapy is used primarily to treat patients with advanced prostate
cancer.
Recently, a study conducted by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center found that a specific form of hormonal therapy, treatment with a gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRH-a), causes severe loss of bone mass and can leave patients with an increased risk of
bone fractures.
GnRH-a interferes with the body's production of testosterone, which is vital to maintain bone mass in men. The study found that men undergoing GnRH-a therapy for one year could lose up to a decade's worth of bone mass and are at serious risk of developing severe
osteoporosis.
See your doctor if you have experienced serious side effects associated with GnRH-a therapy. In addition, it may be important to
contact an attorney who can help you protect your legal rights. Please keep in mind that there may be
time limits within which you must commence suit.
See Also
- Cancer Drugs: Overview
- Broken Bones: Overview
- Osteoporosis: Overview