ADT Type, Duration and the Risk of Diabetes

Arecent study investigated the association between the types and duration of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT, or hormone therapy) and the risk of type 2 diabetes. Researchers used data from the Prostate Cancer database Sweden and compared diabetes risk in 34,031 men with prostate cancer on various types of ADT: anti-androgens (9,143 men), surgical removal of the testicles (3,014 men), or gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists (21,874 men).

When compared to men without prostate cancer, men on gonadotropinreleasing hormone agonists and in the surgical testicle removal group had an increased risk of type 2 diabetes during the first 3 years of ADT. The risk decreased thereafter. There was no increased risk seen in men on antiandrogens. The authors concluded that men on ADT, even for a limited period of time such as with radiation therapy, had an increased risk of type 2 diabetes.