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Published on: March 6, 2018
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Structural Retinal and Optic Nerve Changes in Prostate Cancer Patients Receiving Androgen Receptor Pathway
Yasemin Bakkal Temi1, Büşra Yılmaz Tuğan2, İlkay Çıtakkul1
1Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Kocaeli University, 41001 Kocaeli, Turkey.
Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland)
|July 12, 2025
Summary
Androgen receptor pathway inhibitors (ARPIs) used for prostate cancer treatment may cause significant thinning of retinal layers and optic nerve structures. This study found reduced macular thickness, peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL), and minimum rim width (MRW) in ARPI-treated patients.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Oncology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Androgen receptor pathway inhibitors (ARPIs) are crucial in treating metastatic prostate cancer.
- Potential ocular side effects of ARPIs, particularly on retinal structure, remain under-investigated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare macular thickness, peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL), and minimum rim width (MRW) in patients treated with ARPIs versus healthy controls.
- To assess the potential impact of ARPI therapy on retinal and optic nerve structures.
Main Methods:
- Prospective cross-sectional study involving 80 ARPI-treated prostate cancer patients and 80 age-matched healthy controls.
- Heidelberg Spectralis optical coherence tomography (OCT) used for detailed retinal imaging.
- Quantitative analysis of layer-by-layer macular thickness, pRNFL, and MRW.
Main Results:
- Significantly reduced thickness in most macular segments and pRNFL was observed in the ARPI-treated group.
- All minimum rim width (MRW) measurements were significantly lower in patients receiving ARPIs.
- No significant differences in age, visual acuity, intraocular pressure, or corneal thickness between groups.
Conclusions:
- ARPI treatment is associated with significant thinning across multiple retinal layers, pRNFL, and MRW.
- These findings suggest ARPIs may induce neurodegenerative changes affecting the retina and optic nerve.
- Further research is essential to evaluate the ocular safety profile of ARPIs.
