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Updated: Mar 29, 2026
A Bioluminescent and Fluorescent Orthotopic Syngeneic Murine Model of Androgen-dependent and Castration-resistant Prostate Cancer
Published on: March 6, 2018
[Cardiovascular risk patients under androgen deprivation therapy: Lower risk with GnRH antagonists compared to LHRH
Axel S Merseburger1, Daniel Sedding2, Kai Hüter3
1Klinik und Poliklinik für Urologie, Akkreditiertes Zweitmeinungszentrum Keimzelltumoren, Zertifiziertes Kontinenz- und Beckenboden-Zentrum, Universitätsklinikum Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Lübeck, Ratzeburger Allee 60, 23538, Lübeck, Deutschland. axel.merseburger@uksh.de.
Background:
Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) with gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists or GnRH antagonists is the mainstay of treatment for metastatic prostate cancer (mCaP). However, ADT is associated with serious cardiovascular events. Only a few studies that directly compare the cardiovascular risk of LHRH agonists versus GnRH antagonists have been published.
Objectives:
This review aims to compare the cardiovascular risk of LHRH agonists versus GnRH antagonists based on the literature.
Methods:
A literature search that considered full publications and abstracts published before December 10, 2014 was performed. Due to their high evidence quality, only meta-analyses and pooled studies were included in this review.
Results:
Four studies were included. These investigated the cardiovascular risk of patients receiving an ADT with LHRH agonists and/or GnRH antagonists. However, only one of these directly compared the cardiovascular risk of ADT with LHRH agonists versus GnRH antagonists. This meta-analysis showed a significant reduction in cardiovascular risk for patients receiving a GnRH antagonist compared to those patients receiving a LHRH agonist (HR: 0.597; 95 % CI: 0.380-0.938; P = 0.0253). Subgroup analyses showed that, in particular, patients with pre-existing cardiovascular diseases who were treated with a GnRH antagonist have a significantly lower risk of experiencing a cardiovascular event when compared with patients receiving a GnRH agonist (HR: 0.44; 95 % CI: 0.26-0.74; P = 0.002).
Conclusion:
In conclusion, GnRH antagonists are associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular events, compared with LHRH agonists, when administered as ADT in CaP patients, and particularly in patients with a history of cardiovascular disease. Thus, patients with a history of cardiovascular disease may benefit from ADT with a GnRH antagonist.
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