Study Points to Blood Clot Risk with Prostate Cancer Hormone Therapy

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500

A troubling new study indicates that men who undergo hormone therapy to treat prostate cancer may face a higher risk of developing a dangerous blood clot. The study, published in the journal Cancer, raises questions about the appropriateness of hormone therapy in men who have all but the most serious and aggressive types of prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer hormone therapy, also known as androgen deprivation, works by blocking the production of testosterone, which is believed to fuel the growth of prostate tumors. The potential side effects of androgen deprivation include weight gain, bone thinning, hot flashes and erectile dysfunction.

According to a report from Reuters, prostate cancer hormone therapy was once only used for men whose cancer had traveled outside the prostate. It is also beneficial for men with aggressive forms of cancer. But some doctors started giving hormonal therapy as a first-line treatment to men newly diagnosed with tumors that were still confined to the prostate. In those cases, its benefit is unclear, especially considering that many prostate tumors are slow growing and won't threaten a victim's life.

This new study involved 154,000 older men with prostate cancer. Of the 58,000 on hormone therapy, 15 percent developed a blood clot in the veins, arteries or lungs over roughly four years. Of those who did not undergo the therapy, on seven percent suffered a blood clot. Of the men who developed a blood clot, a quarter ended up in the hospital, according to Reuters.

“By no means is this a trivial risk," said lead author Dr. Behfar Ehdaie, of Memorial-Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York.

In their conclusion, the study authors advised that men considering prostate cancer hormone therapy should have their blood clot risk assessed, and be counseled regarding the risks and benefits of the treatment.

Hormone Therapy Prostate Cancer | Hormone Therapy Prostate Cancer | Hormonal Therapy | Lawsuit, Lawyer | Side Effects : Blood Clots

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Blood Clots from Prostate Cancer Hormone Therapy Side Effects

Hormone Therapy Prostate Cancer | Hormonal Therapy | Lawsuit, Lawyer | Side Effects : Blood Clots,

Have you or a loved one undergone hormone therapy for prostate cancer and suffered a blood clot? New research has tied prostate cancer hormone therapy to a significant risk of dangerous blood clots in the veins, arteries and lungs. The defective drug lawyers at Parker Waichman LLP are currently investigating the link between blood clots and hormone therapy in men with prostate cancer.

If you or a man you know suffered a blood clot while undergoing hormone therapy for prostate cancer, you may be entitled to compensation. Our defective drug lawyers are offering free lawsuit consultations to anyone who suffered a blood clot that may be related to prostate cancer hormone therapy, or their families. If you or someone you know developed a blood clot while undergoing prostate cancer hormone therapy, it is important that you contact our defective drug lawyers today to protect your legal rights.

Prostate Cancer Hormone Therapy and Blood Clots

Hormone therapy for prostate cancer, which is used to curb the production of tumor-fueling testosterone, was originally intended as a treatment for men with advanced forms of the disease that had spread to other parts of the body. Hormone therapy can also improve survival when given along with radiation therapy to men with "high-risk" prostate cancer that is likely to progress. In both these scenarios, the benefits of the therapy are very clear. However, doctors have increasingly been using hormonal therapy as a first-line treatment for men newly diagnosed with tumors that are still confined to the prostate, despite the fact that the benefits for those patients are not established.

In cases were the benefits are not clear, patients may be put at unnecessary risk for serious, life threatening blood clots, according to study published in the November 2011 issue of the journal, Cancer. After looking at data on more than 154,000 older men with prostate cancer, researchers found that those who received hormonal therapy had double the rate of blood clots in the veins, arteries or lungs.

Of the 58,000-plus men taking hormonal therapy, 15 percent developed a blood clot over roughly four years, versus seven percent of men who did not receive the therapy. Men who developed blood clots ended up in the hospital about one-quarter of the time. Even when the researchers accounted for factors, such as old age and poor health, that could explain the higher rate of blood clots, men on hormonal therapy still had a 56 percent greater chance of developing a blood clot. What’s more, the risk grew the longer a man was on hormone treatment.

The study authors pointed out that the risk of blood clots associated with prostate cancer hormone therapy was not trivial, and needs to be balanced against the benefits.

Legal Help for Victims of Blood Clots Associated with Prostate Cancer Hormone Therapy