ADT May Contribute to Heart Disease

Swingshiftworker
Swingshiftworker Member Posts: 1,017 Member
in Prostate Cancer #1

We've all heard that you're more like to die "with" than "from" PCa but a new study suggests that those who take ADT drugs to treat PCa may develop heart diseases and die from it instead of from PCa.   Just another reason IMO not to take ADT drugs unless absolutely necessary.

See: http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2016/02/10/Prostate-cancer-survivors-more-likely-to-die-of-other-diseases/8881455133695/

See also: http://www.techtimes.com/articles/132540/20160210/heart-disease-not-cancer-the-leading-cause-of-death-among-prostate-cancer-survivors.htm

 

 

 

Comments

  • Max Former Hodgkins Stage 3
    Max Former Hodgkins Stage 3 Member Posts: 3,819 Member
    #2
    Thanks

    Thanks for the article that I will read soon.

    Of course, many drugs have serious potential side-effects. Many chemos can seriously damage a person. Bleomycin, fo instance, causes lung toxicity in 10% of users, and fibrosis in 2% . It kills 1% of all users (it gave me fibrosis and severe toxic effects).  Adriamycin causes congestive heart failure in about 2% of all users.   Stem Cell Transplantation, via rejection syndrom, kills up to 30% of all patients attempting it.  George Carlin had a brilliant line he used to use regarding newly discovered diangers: 

    "Scientists have now discovered that salavia causes stomach cancer, but only wihen swallowed in small amounts, over many decades."

    It is always a judgement of whether the potential benefits outweigh potential side-effects; this is even written on the drug bottles themselves.  It is a net effect gamble.  In most cases (not so much with PCa, but with other, more immediatley deadly cancers, like leukemia, or lung) the option is die right now, or risk a small chance to die in ten years from a aside effect. I was told to begin my regimen of five chemos or be dead in a year; the oncologist said with the drugs I had a 60% chance to live five years.  I am now blessed to be six years out, lymphoma free. I have an 85% chance now to never see or hear from my lymphoma again.   My roll of the dice worked.  It was the best option doctors had.  Use it or go buy a crypt.

    It is why being informed and discussing matters in great detail with a doctor is critical.

     

    max

  • VascodaGama
    VascodaGama Member Posts: 3,707 Member
    #3
    Heart health is Prostate health

    Swing,

    Thanks for posting the article. I have been conscious of these facts since starting this sequential. I feel fortunate for having the long period (4 years) out of drugs in my intermittent ADT modality.
     I recall reading the comment of one of you saying that “Heart health is Prostate health”; so let’s eat properly!

    There is no doubt that PCa patients are at risk for deteriorating health due to PCa treatments. In any case, the worse may not be the medication we take but the status we confront and turn into from the therapies. In the end our body’s ability to “repair” itself becomes in jeopardy and its actions leads to many unwanted side effects. The dangerous ones are those called “long term side effects” that include heart failure and secondary cancers.

    We may expect cardio deterioration not only due to ADT and chemo treatments but also from the radicals. In surgeries we are subjected to dangerous combinations of spinal anaesthetic with sedation drugs and the radiotherapies lead to deterioration of the immune system or even cancer. Forced hypogonadism from ADT is also dangerous but not taken into consideration by urologists or radiologists.

    We are in continuous risk for collateral diseases and the best we can do for it is to become “vigilantes” of ourselves, engaging in periodical screenings and testing processes, apart from the effort of being fit.

    I congratulate Max for his six years out, lymphoma free. You, I admire for continuing participating in this forum helping the others, though cured.

    VG

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