Prostate cancer treatments, particularly hormone therapy (ADT) can have a significant effect on speeding up the process of thinning and weakening the bones. There are some available treatments (Zoledronic acid aka Zoladex and denosumab aka Xgeva) which are designed to slow down or reverse this process; however, they are known to have many adverse side effects themselves. These side effects can include severe fractures of the femur which could limit survival and cataracts. For this reason, these treatments are usually used later, when men become castrate resistant and metastatic.
Questioning the Wisdom of Combined Androgen Therapy
One of the questions that often come up is how long a man should use an antiandrogen drug like Casodex along with a GnRH agonist like Lupron or Zoladex? There is no question that an antiandrogen needs to be used before the first dosage of the agonist (Lupron), but should the antiandrogen be stopped or should it be continued along with the agonist (combining an antiandrogen along with the GnRH agonist is often referred to as a combined androgen blockade)?
