Degarelix treatment is compatible with diabetes and antithrombotic therapy in patients with prostate cancer

Therapeutically induced androgen deficiency (AD) is a standard treatment for patients with prostate cancer, but it is often associated with various adverse effects (AEs) that may lead to discontinuation. Some AEs may depend on the patient's health condition, while others may be due to complications of the drug delivery method. Degarelix is a gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonist widely used for the treatment of androgen-dependent prostate cancer. This study aimed to ascertain the following: 1) the compatibility of degarelix treatment with diabetes and 2) any specific causal associations of degarelix injections with increased blood clotting and antithrombotic therapy requirements.

The medical records of 162 patients with prostate cancer who had undergone degarelix treatment were retrospectively examined. The association of a medical history of diabetes and anticoagulant co-treatment with degarelix treatment discontinuation was analyzed statistically.

Rapid and significant decreases in prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels during the course of degarelix treatment were detected for patients with prostate cancer regardless of clinical state. During the 27 months of treatment, 68 subjects (48%) ceased degarelix treatment, owing to several reasons, mainly financial issues. Among these subjects, 19 had diabetes, while 35 were treated with antithrombotics. Extensive statistical analysis indicated that there were no causal associations between degarelix treatment discontinuation and preexisting diabetes or antithrombotic therapy.

Our study suggests that preexisting diabetes and antithrombotic therapy were not significant factors for the discontinuation of degarelix treatment in patients with prostate cancer.