08/26/2009 0 Comments Contact Our News Editors

A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association links hormone therapy for prostate cancer with a higher risk of death in older men who have had serious heart problems. Hormone therapy suppresses the amount of testosterone produced, causing prostate tumors to shrink or grow more slowly.

The treatment can help men with more advanced disease when used with surgery or radiation. But the side effects are troubling: impotence, bone loss, hot flashes, memory problems, fatigue and an increased risk for diabetes and heart disease.