If you have received an advanced prostate cancer diagnosis, there is a good chance that you will receive an androgen deprivation (ADT) therapy at some point, because ADT is a pillar of prostate cancer treatment. It works by lowering testosterone levels, a type of androgen (a hormone) in the body that feeds the growth of prostate cancer. Hunger for fuel cancer helps reduce prostate cancer tumors and prevent news from developing.
“The exhaustion of testosterone creates many systemic side effects,” explains Joseph Renzulli, MD, an associate professor of urology at the Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut. “ADT has a significant impact on men, especially those in the long term.”
Here are some common side effects from ADT, as well as advice on managing them and improving your quality of life during the treatment of prostate cancer.
1. Fatigue
How to manage fatigue
Exercise can help increase your energy levels. Opt for resistance training, which can help increase energy levels while maintaining bone and muscle mass, explains Renzulli. Aim for about 30 minutes of exercise per day, he said.
2.
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3. High blood pressure and cholesterol
ADT can increase blood pressure and cholesterol, so your oncologist will probably work with your primary care doctor – and perhaps a cardiologist – to monitor your levels. “It should be a team approach,” says Renzulli.
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4. Weak bone
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“We often encourage men … starting vitamin D and calcium supplementation [to help shore up bone health]”Explains Ramkishen Narayanan, MD, urological oncologist and director of the Center for Urologic Health at the Disney Family Cancer Center of Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, California.
5. Sexual dysfunction
How to manage sexual dysfunction
Psychological treatment can help you counter a loss of Libido linked to ADT. Certain research has revealed that cognitive behavioral therapy (TCC) can help survivors of prostate cancer treated with ADT improve their sexual desire, their functioning and their satisfaction, possibly by improving the body image and the relational problems that can be ravaged.
Discuss side effects at each examination
Many of the side effects of the ADT disappear after the end of treatment, but some men must remain on therapy for life, explains Renzulli. In addition, some men may never find normal levels of testosterone production. It’s a good thing to help prevent prostate cancer from coming back, but you can continue to feel the effects of the ADT for years to come.
Stay in close contact with your doctors. “We strongly encourage people to maintain follow -up with the doctor prescribing the ADT to ensure that side effects are noted,” said Dr. Narayanan. “We also encourage commitment with a psychiatrist, a neurologist or a psychiatric-oncologist as part of a multidisciplinary team to ensure that emotional or cognitive problems are treated, with or without medication.”
The point to take away
- Androgens deprivation therapy (ADT) lowers testosterone levels, a type of androgen, in the body, which helps reduce prostate cancer and prevent tumors from developing.
- Deleting testosterone levels can also cause side effects, such as bone loss, fatigue, high blood pressure and blood sugar and sexual function problems.
- To help reduce the side effects of ADT, try to communicate openly with your doctor on all the side effects you experience, consumption of a nutritional diet and active stay.
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