Gonadotropin-releasing Hormone Agonists, Orchiectomy, and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease: Semi-ecologic, Nationwide, Population-based Study

Follicle-Stimulating Hormone Exacerbates Cardiovascular Disease in the Presence of Low or Castrate Testosterone Levels

Low testosterone (T), common in aging men, associates with cardiovascular disease. We investigated whether follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), which is affected by T, modulates the cardiovascular effects associated with low T or castration. FSHβ-/-:low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR)-/- mice, untreated or castrated (orchiectomy, gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist or antagonist), demonstrated significantly less atherogenesis compared with similarly treated LDLR-/- mice, but not following FSH delivery. Smaller plaque burden in LDLR-/- mice receiving gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonists vs agonists were nullified in FSHβ-/-:LDLR-/- mice. Atherosclerotic and necrotic plaque size and macrophage infiltration correlated with serum FSH/T. In patients with prostate cancer, FSH/T following androgen-deprivation therapy initiation predicted cardiovascular events. FSH facilitates cardiovascular disease when T is low or eliminated.

Relugolix: Five Reasons Why the US Food and Drug Administration Should Have Exercised Restraint

We highlight concerns regarding the approval of relugolix for patients with prostate cancer. These include the unsuitable comparator arm and primary endpoint in the HERO trial, as well as potential selection bias and the poor representativeness of the trial population. Dosing adherence to a daily tablet may also be an issue in comparison to injections at 3-mo intervals. Rigorous postmarketing trials of relugolix assessing clinically meaningful endpoints for these patients are needed.

The impact of androgen deprivation therapy on the lipid profile in patients with prostate carcinoma

Background

Dyslipidemia is directly related to morbidity and mortality in elderly prostate carcinoma patients. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) on the lipid profile among Indian patients with locally advanced and metastatic prostate carcinoma.

Methods

The prospective database of prostate carcinoma patients, who received ADT and whose lipid profile data for the first two years of treatment with ADT was available, were divided into two groups for retrospective analysis: Group A patients are those who had undergone bilateral orchidectomy, while group B patients received luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonist (LHRHa). The data analyzed include baseline characteristics, prostate-specific antigen (PSA), and lipid profile.

Results

A total of 69 eligible patients were divided into two groups: group A—29 patients and group B—40 patients. Patients of both the groups reported a significant decrease in the mean serum PSA level from the commencement of ADT and remained close to nadir level till 24 months. In the group A patients, lipid profile parameters except high-density lipoprotein cholesterol showed statistically insignificant deterioration with maximum impact at 6 months. Among the group B patients, the total cholesterol (11.9%), triglycerides (22.2%), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (21.1%) increased significantly at 6 months and returned to the near baseline at 12 months and thereafter persisted at the similar level. The mean very low-density lipoprotein level (15.5%) also increased significantly at 6 months and then showed a gradual decline till 24 months of follow-up.

Conclusions

LHRH agonist used as ADT for prostate carcinoma leads to a statistically significant but clinically insignificant temporary worsening in the lipid profile.

Cardiovascular toxicities of androgen deprivation therapy in Asian men with localized prostate cancer after curative radiotherapy: a registry-based observational study

Background

Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) and radiotherapy (RT) are the mainstay treatment for localized prostate cancer and recurrence after surgery. Cardiovascular (CV) toxicity of ADT is increasingly recognized, and the risk relates to pre-existing risk factors and ADT modalities. Despite ethnic differences in the prevalence of CV risk factors and variations of CV mortality, data on ADT-related cardiotoxicities in the Asian population remain inconclusive. Our registry-based study investigated ADT-related major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) after primary or salvage RT.

Methods

Our study combined two prospectively established registry databases from National Cancer Center Singapore and National Heart Center Singapore. The primary endpoint is time to first MACE after treatment. MACE is defined as myocardial infarction, stroke, unstable angina, or cardiovascular death. Two types of propensity score adjustments, including ADT propensity score as a covariate in the multivariable regression model and propensity score weighting, were applied to balance baseline features and CV risk factors between RT alone and RT + ADT groups.

Results

From 2000 to 2019, 1940 patients received either RT alone (n = 494) or RT + ADT (n = 1446) were included. After a median follow-up of 10 years (RT) and 7.2 years (RT+ ADT), the cumulative incidence of MACE at 1, 3 and 9 years was 1.2, 5 and 16.2% in RT group, and 1.1, 5.2 and 17.6% in RT + ADT group, respectively. There were no differences in the incidence of MACE between 2 groups (HR 1.01, 95% CI 0.78–1.30, p = 0.969). Pre-treatment CV risk factors were common (80%), and CV disease (15.9%) was the second leading cause of death after prostate cancer (21.1%). On univariate analysis, older age, Indians and Malays, pre-existing CV risk factors, and history of MACE were associated with higher MACE risk. After propensity score adjustments, there remained no significant differences in MACE risk between RT + ADT and RT group on multivariable analysis.

Conclusions

In our registry-based study, ADT is not associated with increased risk of major cardiovascular events among Southeast Asian men with prostate cancer after curative radiotherapy.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40959-022-00131-4.

Follicle-Stimulating Hormone Provokes Macrophages to Secrete IL-1β Contributing to Atherosclerosis Progression

Abnormally high follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) has been reported to associate with cardiovascular diseases in prostate cancer patients with specific androgen deprivation therapy and in menopausal women. All of the cardiovascular diseases were involved in atherosclerosis. However, the pathogenic mechanism of FSH-associated atherosclerosis remains uncertain. Apolipoprotein E-deficient mice were chosen to develop atherosclerosis, of which the plaques were analyzed with administration of short- and long-term FSH imitating androgen deprivation therapy-induced and menopausal FSH elevation. The study showed that short- and long-term exposure of FSH significantly accelerated atherosclerosis progression in apolipoprotein E-deficient mice, manifested as strikingly increased plaques in the aorta and its roots, increased macrophage content, reduced fibrin, and an enlarged necrotic core, suggesting a decrease in plaque stability. Furthermore, expression profiles from the Gene Expression Omnibus GSE21545 dataset revealed that macrophage inflammation was tightly associated with FSH-induced atherosclerotic progression. The human monocyte cell line THP-1 was induced by PMA and worked as a macrophage model to detect inflammatory factors and cellular functions. FSH remarkably promoted the expression of IL-1β in macrophages and strikingly increased the chemotactic migratory capacity of macrophages toward MCP-1, but the promigratory capacity of FSH was attenuated in foam cells. Overall, we revealed that FSH significantly promoted the inflammatory response and migration of macrophages, thereby provoking atherosclerosis development.

Stem Cells as Target for Prostate cancer Therapy: Opportunities and Challenges

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) and cells in a cancer stem cell-like (CSCL) state have proven to be responsible for tumor initiation, growth, and relapse in Prostate Cancer (PCa) and other cancers; therefore, new strategies are being developed to target such cellular populations. TLR3 activation-based immunotherapy using Polyinosinic:Polycytidylic acid (PIC) has been proposed to be used as a concomitant strategy to first-line treatment. This strategy is based on the induction of apoptosis and an inflammatory response in tumor cells. In combination with retinoids like 9cRA, this treatment can induce CSCs differentiation and apoptosis. A limitation in the use of this combination is the common decreased expression of TLR3 and its main positive regulator p53. observed in many patients suffering of different cancer types such as PCa. Importantly, human exposure to certain toxicants, such as iAs, not only has proven to enrich CSCs population in an in vitro model of human epithelial prostate cells, but additionally, it can also lead to a decreased p53, TLR3 and RA receptor (RARβ), expression/activation and thus hinder this treatment efficacy. Therefore, here we point out the relevance of evaluating the TLR3 and P53 status in PCa patients before starting an immunotherapy based on the use of PIC +9cRA to determine whether they will be responsive to treatment. Additionally, the use of strategies to overcome the lower TLR3, RARβ or p53 expression in PCa patients, like the inclusion of drugs that increase p53 expression, is encouraged, to potentiate the use of PIC+RA based immunotherapy in these patients.

Conventional androgen deprivation therapy is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease in advanced prostate cancer, a nationwide population-based study

Purpose

Androgen Deprivation Therapy (ADT) is the mainstay treatment in advanced prostate cancer. We conducted a nationwide population-based study to evaluate the association of ADT and cardiovascular diseases.

Methods

Between 2005 and 2009, patient data from the National Health Insurance database were obtained. We divided newly diagnosed prostate cancer patients into four groups, injection of gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists and antagonists, oral antiandrogens, orchiectomy and radical prostatectomy only. Another matched non-cancerous control group was also assigned for comparison purposes. Study outcomes were newly onset Cardiovascular Diseases (CVD) and hospital admissions. Multi-variant Cox proportional regression analysis and the Kaplan–Meier method for cumulative incidence were performed.

Results

A total of 17,147 newly diagnosed prostate cancer patients were found. After exclusion criteria was considered, the 2,565 remaining patients were then divided into 1,088 subjects in the injection group, 286 in the orchiectomy group, 812 in the oral group and 379 in the radical prostatectomy only group. The mean age of all the patients was 71.2 years. Multi-variant analysis showed a significantly increased risk of CVD in the injection group, orchiectomy group, oral group and radical prostatectomy group (HR = 2.94, 95% CI 2.51 to 3.45, p<0.001, HR = 3.43, 95% CI 2.69 to 4.36, p<0.001, HR = 2.87, 95% CI 2.42 to 3.39, p<0.001, HR = 1.93, 95% CI 1.5 to 2.48, p<0.001, respectively). A time dependent increased risk of CVD was also observed amongst the study groups (p<0.001).

Conclusions

ADT is associated with an increased risk of CVD. For long-term prostate cancer castration therapy, doctors should be aware of this complication and arrange for proper management.

Identifying the Candidates Who Will Benefit From Extended Pelvic Lymph Node Dissection at Radical Prostatectomy Among Patients With Prostate Cancer

PURPOSE

The therapeutic effect of extended pelvic lymph node dissection (PLND) in prostate cancer (PCa) patients is still controversial. The aim of this study was to identify the PCa patients who may benefit from extended PLND based on the 2012 Briganti nomogram.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

PCa patients who underwent radical prostatectomy (RP) plus PLND between 2010 and 2015 were identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. The probability of lymph node invasion (LNI), determined using the 2012 Briganti nomogram, was used to stratify the patients. The endpoints were overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS). Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed to account for potential differences between patients with and without extended PLND. Univariable and multivariable Cox regression was used to analyze the association between the number of removed nodes (NRN) and survival. Kaplan-Meier analysis was performed to estimate OS and CSS. Extended PLND was defined as NRN >75th percentile.

RESULTS

A total of 27,690 patients were included in the study. NRN was not an independent predictor of OS (p = 0.564). However, in patients with probability of LNI ≥37, multivariable analyses showed that increased NRN was associated with improved OS (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.963; p = 0.002). The 5-y OS rate was significantly higher for patients with NRN ≥12 than those with NRN <12 (94.9% vs. 91.9%, respectively; p = 0.015). In the PSM cohort, among patients with probability of LNI ≥37, multivariable analyses showed that increased NRN was associated with improved OS (HR = 0.961; p = 0.004). In addition, the 5-y OS rate was significantly higher for patients with NRN ≥12 than those with NRN <12 (94.9% vs. 89.8%, respectively; p = 0.002). However, NRN was not an independent predictor of CSS in any LNI risk subgroup (all p >0.05).

CONCLUSION

Extensive PLND might be associated with improved survival in PCa patients with a high risk of LNI, which supports the use of extended PLND in highly selected PCa patients. The results need to be validated in prospective studies with long-term follow-up.

An Expert Review on the Combination of Relugolix with Definitive Radiation Therapy for Prostate Cancer

Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is an integral component in the management of prostate cancer across multiple disease states. Traditionally, luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) agonists constituted the backbone of ADT. However, gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor hormone (GnRH) antagonists are also available, which offer faster testosterone suppression and reduced likelihood of ADT-related adverse effects compared to LHRH agonists, including the potential for fewer ADT-associated major cardiac events. Until recently, all forms of LHRH agonists and GnRH antagonist formulations are of parenteral administration. However, recently relugolix gained FDA approval as the first oral GnRH antagonist. Relugolix achieves faster and more complete testosterone suppression compared to an LHRH agonist. This translates to more rapid prostate-specific antigen response compared to LHRH agonists. After discontinuation of relugolix, testosterone recovers faster than after GnRH agonists or injectable GnRH antagonist therapy. Overall, these factors provide opportunities for more precisely defined ADT duration when combined with radiation therapy. The rapid onset and offset testosterone suppression with relugolix, however, may require physicians to rethink the mechanism and goals of ADT when prescribing. As an oral formulation, relugolix enables patients to avoid pain and injection site reactions, limit extra office visits for injections, and achieve a shorter duration of experiencing the side effects of castrate testosterone levels. This convenience and tolerability may enhance physicians' willingness to prescribe ADT and patients' feeling of control over their ADT course, but the potential advantages are accompanied by the risks of patients choosing to discontinue therapy to escape side effects of ADT. This article focuses on different aspects of what is known and unknown regarding the optimal use of ADT and radiation therapy, and how relugolix, due to its properties, fit into our current treatment paradigms for localized prostate cancer.

Surgical versus Medical Castration for Metastatic Prostate Cancer: Use and Overall Survival in a National Cohort

PURPOSE

Surgical castration for metastatic prostate cancer is used less frequently than medical castration yet costs less, requires less followup and may be associated with fewer adverse effects. We evaluated temporal trends and factors associated with the use of surgical castration.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This retrospective cohort study sampled 24,805 men with newly diagnosed (de novo) metastatic prostate cancer from a national cancer registry in the United States (2004 to 2016). Multivariable logistic regression assessed the association between sociodemographic factors and surgery. Multivariable Cox regression evaluated the association between castration type and overall survival.

RESULTS

Overall 5.4% of men underwent surgical castration. This figure decreased from 8.5% in 2004 to 3.5% in 2016 (per year later OR 0.89, 95% CI 0.87-0.91, p <0.001). Compared to Medicare, private insurance was associated with less surgery (OR 0.73, 95% CI 0.61-0.87, p <0.001) while Medicaid or no insurance was associated with more surgery (OR 1.68, 95% CI 1.34-2.11, p <0.001 and OR 2.12, 95% CI 1.58-2.85, p <0.001, respectively). Regional median income greater than $63,000 was associated with less surgery (vs income less than $38,000 OR 0.61, 95% CI 0.43-0.85, p=0.004). After a median followup of 30 months castration type was not associated with differences in survival (surgical vs medical HR 1.02, 95% CI 0.95-1.09, p=0.6).

CONCLUSIONS

In a contemporary, real-world cohort surgical castration use is low and decreasing despite its potential advantages and similar survival rate compared to medical castration. Men with potentially limited health care access undergo more surgery, perhaps reflecting a provider bias toward the perceived benefit of permanent castration.

Cardiovascular risks and toxicity - The Achilles heel of androgen deprivation therapy in prostate cancer patients

Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is the primary systemic therapy for treating locally advanced or metastatic prostate cancer (PCa). Despite its positive effect on PCa patient survival, ADT causes various adverse effects, including increased cardiovascular risk factors and cardiotoxicity. Lifespans extension, early use of ADT, and second-line treatment with next-generation androgen receptor pathway inhibitors would further extend the duration of ADT and possibly increase the risk of ADT-induced cardiotoxicity. Meanwhile, information on the molecular mechanisms underlying ADT-induced cardiotoxicity and measures to prevent it is limited, mainly due to the lack of specifically designed preclinical studies and clinical trials. This review article compiles up-to-date evidence obtained from observational studies and clinical trials, in order to gain new insights for deciphering the association between ADT use and cardiotoxicity. In addition, potential cardioprotective strategies involving GnRH receptors and second messenger cGMP are discussed.

Androgen deprivation therapy improves the in vitro capacity of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) to receive cholesterol and other lipids in patients with prostate carcinoma

Background

Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is widely used in the treatment of testosterone-dependent prostate carcinomas. ADT often increases plasma LDL and HDL cholesterol and triglycerides. The aim was to test whether ADT changes the transfer of lipids to HDL, an important aspect of this metabolism and HDL protective functions, and related parameters.

Methods

Sixteen volunteers with advanced prostate carcinoma submitted to pharmacological ADT or orchiectomy had plasma collected shortly before and after 6 months of ADT. In vitro transfer of lipids to HDL was performed by incubating plasma with donor emulsion containing radioactive lipids by 1 h at 37 °C. After chemical precipitation of apolipoprotein B-containing lipoprotein, the radioactivity of HDL fraction was counted.

Results

ADT reduced testosterone to nearly undetectable levels and markedly diminished PSA. ADT increased the body weight but glycemia, triglycerides, LDL and HDL cholesterol, HDL lipid composition and CETP concentration were unchanged. However, ADT increased the plasma unesterified cholesterol concentration (48 ± 12 vs 56 ± 12 mg/dL, p = 0.019) and LCAT concentration (7.15 ± 1.81 vs 8.01 ± 1.55μg/mL, p = 0.020). Transfer of unesterified (7.32 ± 1.09 vs 8.18 ± 1.52%, p < 0.05) and esterified cholesterol (6.15 ± 0.69 vs 6.94 ± 1.29%, p < 0.01) and of triglycerides (6.37 ± 0.43 vs 7.18 ± 0.91%, p < 0.001) to HDL were increased after ADT. Phospholipid transfer was unchanged.

Conclusion

Increase in transfer of unesterified and esterified cholesterol protects against cardiovascular disease, as shown previously, and increased LCAT favors cholesterol esterification and facilitates the reverse cholesterol transport. Thus, our results suggest that ADT may offer anti-atherosclerosis protection by improving HDL functional properties. This could counteract, at least partially, the eventual worse effects on plasma lipids.

Oral Relugolix for Androgen-Deprivation Therapy in Advanced Prostate Cancer

BACKGROUND

Injectable luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonists (e.g., leuprolide) are the standard agents for achieving androgen deprivation for prostate cancer despite the initial testosterone surge and delay in therapeutic effect. The efficacy and safety of relugolix, an oral gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist, as compared with those of leuprolide are not known.

METHODS

In this phase 3 trial, we randomly assigned patients with advanced prostate cancer, in a 2:1 ratio, to receive relugolix (120 mg orally once daily) or leuprolide (injections every 3 months) for 48 weeks. The primary end point was sustained testosterone suppression to castrate levels (<50 ng per deciliter) through 48 weeks. Secondary end points included noninferiority with respect to the primary end point, castrate levels of testosterone on day 4, and profound castrate levels (<20 ng per deciliter) on day 15. Testosterone recovery was evaluated in a subgroup of patients.

RESULTS

A total of 622 patients received relugolix and 308 received leuprolide. Of men who received relugolix, 96.7% (95% confidence interval [CI], 94.9 to 97.9) maintained castration through 48 weeks, as compared with 88.8% (95% CI, 84.6 to 91.8) of men receiving leuprolide. The difference of 7.9 percentage points (95% CI, 4.1 to 11.8) showed noninferiority and superiority of relugolix (P<0.001 for superiority). All other key secondary end points showed superiority of relugolix over leuprolide (P<0.001). The percentage of patients with castrate levels of testosterone on day 4 was 56.0% with relugolix and 0% with leuprolide. In the subgroup of 184 patients followed for testosterone recovery, the mean testosterone levels 90 days after treatment discontinuation were 288.4 ng per deciliter in the relugolix group and 58.6 ng per deciliter in the leuprolide group. Among all the patients, the incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events was 2.9% in the relugolix group and 6.2% in the leuprolide group (hazard ratio, 0.46; 95% CI, 0.24 to 0.88).

CONCLUSIONS

In this trial involving men with advanced prostate cancer, relugolix achieved rapid, sustained suppression of testosterone levels that was superior to that with leuprolide, with a 54% lower risk of major adverse cardiovascular events. (Funded by Myovant Sciences; HERO ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT03085095.).

Is androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer associated with cardiovascular disease? A meta-analysis and systematic review

BACKGROUND

Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is widely being applied in men who suffered from prostate cancer. Whether androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is associated with an increased risk of developing cardiovascular-related disease is poorly defined.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of the present meta-analysis is to explore the relationship between ADT and the risk of cardiac events. MATERIALS AND METHODS: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched databases from inception to April 2019 for randomized controlled trials (RCT) or observational studies that reported data on ADT administration and cardiac event incidence. The connection was evaluated through estimating relative risk ratio (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

RESULTS

A significantly increased acute myocardial infarction (AMI) was detected in the ADT group compared with the control group (RR = 1.19, 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.02-1.39, P < .05). A significant difference between cardiovascular disease (CVD) and ADT was also observed, with summary RR = 1.25, 95% CI, 1.11-1.40, P < .05. Furthermore, our study also suggested ADT was not related to increased incidence of sudden cardiac death (SCD) (RR = 1.13, 95% CI, 0.92-1.38, P = .24); AMI and CVD were not connected with the duration of ADT (AMI: RR = 1.31; 95% CI, 0.66-2.63, P = .44, for > 5 year group; CVD: RR = 1.12, 95% CI, 0.97-1.30, P = .12, for > 5 year group). In addition, the RR for risk of CVD was 1.28 (95% CI, 1.01-1.62, P < .05) for men with PCa on new hormonal agents.

DISCUSSION

Various ADT modalities have different impact on cardiovascular disease risk in different level. Long-term application of ADT is not associated with increased risk of AMI and CVD. Both abiraterone and enzalutamide could significantly increase the incidence of cardiac events in patients who suffered from prostate cancer. Cautions and periodic cardiovascular elevation are necessary for patients before the ADT starting.

CONCLUSIONS

Androgen deprivation therapy is associated with increased risk of AMI, CHD, in contrast, this association is not detected in SCD.