Bone loss from prostate therapy

A publication in this month's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolismsuggests that gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists, a common treatment for prostate cancer, may cause severe bone loss. But the article was not intended to change physician prescribing habits. Rather, it may lead to early testing for markers of bone resorption in prostate cancer patients.

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and colleagues compared bone mineral density (BMD) in 60 prostate cancer patients, 19 of whom were receiving a GnRH agonist, and 197 healthy volunteers. The study showed that BMD in the GnRH group was 17% lower compared to the two other arms. Also, the GnRH group had a two-fold increase in urine levels of NTx, a bone resorption marker, compared to the other arms...