Your Health

For Men With Advanced Prostate Cancer, Testosterone Surge Is Not A Good Thing

Posted 9/7/2010

For Men With Advanced Prostate Cancer, Testosterone Surge Is Not A Good Thing.

(NAPSI) - Some of the terms used in treating cancer may surprise many men. For example, "testosterone surge" may conjure up visions of strength and vitality, but for men with advanced prostate cancer, testosterone surge may actually worsen their condition by fueling the growth of their cancer.

For men with advanced prostate cancer, a key goal of treatment is to reduce testosterone levels as low as possible. This is often accomplished by hormone therapy. Although hormone therapy is used to reduce testosterone levels, it can sometimes initially increase testosterone through a surge instead. A testosterone surge results from a type of hormone therapy known as Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists, including leuprolide. This surge, also called a flare, may stimulate tumor growth and cause painful and potentially dangerous symptoms in some men such as bone pain, urinary retention and neurological damage. In addition, the therapeutic benefits of GnRH treatment may be delayed.

Doctors take steps to counteract testosterone surge; risks may be reduced by prescribing an additional medication known as an antiandrogen, which blocks the negative effects of testosterone surge. While risks are reduced, though, they are not eliminated.

There is, however, a novel treatment option that reduces testosterone levels immediately, without any testosterone surge and without the need for an additional medication to block surges. FIRMAGON® (degarelix for injection) is a GnRH antagonist and gives men with locally advanced prostate cancer an important treatment alternative in their quest to beat advanced prostate cancer. FIRMAGON provides surge-free reduction in testosterone in 96 percent of men by day three of treatment.

Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer, as well as the second leading cause of cancer death, in American men. About one man in six will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during his lifetime; one in 35 will die of the disease. For men with advanced prostate cancer, particularly metastatic disease, lowering testosterone levels is an important goal of treatment. This is because testosterone affects the growth of the prostate and any cancer cells that may be present. One way to lower testosterone is hormonal therapy (HT).

For more information about prostate cancer, talk to your doctor and visit www.firmagon.com.

Editors' Note: INDICATIONS AND USAGE

FIRMAGON is a prescription medicine used in the treatment of advanced prostate cancer.

Important Safety Information

FIRMAGON should not be given to people who are allergic to any of the ingredients in FIRMAGON. It should not be given to women who are pregnant or may become pregnant. FIRMAGON can harm an unborn baby when given to a pregnant woman.

Before receiving FIRMAGON, tell your health care provider about all your medical conditions, including if you have any heart problems, problems with balance of your body salts or electrolytes (such as sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium), or have kidney or liver problems.

The common side effects of FIRMAGON include hot flashes, injection site pain, redness and swelling (especially with the first dose), weight gain, increase in some liver enzymes, tiredness, hypertension, back and joint pain, chills, urinary tract infection, and decreased sex drive and trouble with erectile function (impotence).

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