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Anaemia in men receiving combined finasteride and flutamide therapy for advanced prostate cancer
D K Ornstein1, J A Beiser, G L Andriole
1Division of Urologic Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA.
Objective:
To determine the effect of combined finasteride and flutamide therapy on haemoglobin and haematocrit values in men with advanced prostate cancer.
Patients And Methods:
Nineteen men, previously untreated by hormone therapy, with histologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the prostate and clinical evidence of advanced disease, were treated with combined finasteride (5 mg/day) and flutamide (750 mg/day) for at least 6 months. Complete blood counts were performed before initiation and after 6 months of therapy.
Results:
After 6 months of finasteride and flutamide therapy both haemoglobin levels and haematocrit decreased in all men, with a mean (sd, range) decrease of 16 (10, 3-42) g/L and 4.6 (2.7, 0.8-9.9)%, respectively.
Conclusion:
Combined finasteride and flutamide therapy significantly lowers haemoglobin and haematocrit levels in men with advanced prostate cancer, and further study of this effect is warranted.