Drug treatment for prostate cancer associated with higher risk of dementia

A study involving more than 150,000 men with prostate cancer revealed that a given hormone treatment is badociated with an increased risk of dementia and Alzheimer's.

According to a JAMA Network study, the risk of dementia is 20% higher among older men who have been treated for prostate cancer. This drug treatment, called androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), is used to suppress male hormones (such as testosterone) that may contribute to the spread of prostate cancer in the body.

The study involves more than 150,000 men, aged 66 or older, diagnosed with prostate cancer. Researchers monitored participants for at least 10 years after diagnosis.

Among those who received tetanus treatment to treat their prostate cancer, the risk of dementia increased by 20% and the risk of Alzheimer's disease by 14%.

Read more: Retirement homes provide babies with Alzheimer's disease with dolls as therapy

"Our findings suggest that clinicians need to carefully weigh the long-term risks and benefits of ADD exposure in patients with extended life expectancy and stratify patients according to the risk of dementia before the onset of treatment, "the researchers wrote in their study.

The study also revealed that the risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease increased with the number of doses given to patients with ADD.