prostate-report.org

A holistic approach to androgen deprivation therapy

Urologists think that it is time to treating the cancer without hurting the patient. They know that androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) for advanced prostate cancer can be linked with side effects which may negatively influence quality of life (QoL) and induce serious medical problems. As consequence, they should take appropriate measures to promote the general health and overall QoL of patients in order to prevent and manage ADT-related side effects.

A new study at Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium, aimed is to provide practical recommendations on how to monitor and counsel patients and effectively manage side effects based on relevant original articles, review articles and abstracts.

The study concluded that urologists should be aware of side effects and adapt their practice patterns to rapidly recognize these and administer appropriate treatment. Proper counseling of ADT-treated patients is needed to help them recognize and prevent and/or manage side effects. It is important for patients to be encouraged to adopt a healthy lifestyle such as a healthy diet and physical exercise. In addition, bone mineral density and metabolic and cardiovascular parameters need to be carefully monitored.