Hormone therapy for prostate cancer linked to a higher risk of dementia? A new study in the United States (“US”) looked at the issue and is suggesting that this might be the case according the news reports.
Information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”) reveal that outside some types of skin cancer, prostate cancer is the number one type of cancer among men in the US. In addition, the same information finds that prostate cancer is the leading cause of cancer related death among men of all races and “Hispanic origin populations.”
The CDC numbers break down to 176,450 men were diagnosed with prostate cancer in the US in 2013, with 27,681 men dying from the condition.
The Prostate Cancer Foundation lists certain risk factors for prostate cancer and they are the following:
- Age: The older you become the more likely that you will be diagnosed with prostate cancer. 1 in 38 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer ages 40-59. 1 in 14 for men ages 60-69, with 65% of all prostate cancers diagnosed in men over 65.
- Family/Genetics
- Where you live
Visit the Prostate Cancer Foundation link above for a more detailed look at the risk factors.
According the news report, the people doing the research in the study looked at a treatment called “androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), which works by depriving tumor cells of testosterone.” Medical research has told us that prostate cancer uses testosterone to grow and spread.
The information in the study found that for patients who had the hormone therapy were twice as likely to develop dementia as the men who had other forms of treatment performed. With that said, according to news reports, the study did have some limitations on the severity of the prostate tumors.
To read the article in support of this posting, please take the time and click HERE to read more detail about the study. Also, remember to speak to your doctor about your medical condition and any potential treatments.
