ADT treatments for prostate cancer ups risk of dementia, Alzheimer’s

This prostate cancer treatment can put you on a fast track to dementia

It’s the most barbaric cancer treatment of all.

And it’s being done to over half of all guys diagnosed with prostate cancer. That goes for men with early and low-risk cases as well.

Almost a year ago I told you about a study done on androgen deprivation therapy, or ADT.

This antiquated treatment zaps the production of testosterone. That’s a hormone that acts as your brain’s watchdog, guarding it from inflammation, protecting neurons and most importantly, keeping close checks on amyloid plaque buildup that’s associated with Alzheimer’s.

Slowing testosterone to a trickle is like leaving your front door wide open with a sign saying “rob me.” Well, plenty of guys have been robbed of their memories and independence because of it.

Now, the same research team has completed another, even bigger study on ADT.

And the results are more frightening than the last time around.

The perfect storm

ADT has been used to treat prostate cancer for so long that doctors have become blasé about the terrible side effects it causes.

Once your testosterone is cut off, you’ll feel tired and irritable, be more prone to developing diabetes and suffer bone loss. And that’s not to mention what it can do to your sex life.

But despite decades of miserable men and experts who have said that there’s “little evidence to support its use,” doctors plod ahead with it.

Last year I told you about a study from researchers out of the University of Pennsylvania and Stanford University who looked at over 16,000 men with prostate cancer. They compared ones treated with ADT and ones who weren’t.

And what they found was unbelievable.

The men on ADT for a little over a year had twice the risk of Alzheimer’s versus the men not receiving it.

Apparently the researchers couldn’t believe it either, because they’ve just completed another study. And these findings show even more harm from ADT, if that’s possible.

This new research, published in JAMA, looked at close to a decade’s worth of data on men given ADT therapy. Again, they found that double Alzheimer’s risk.

But there was more.

Not only are men receiving ADT being primed for Alzheimer’s disease, but they also found that they were twice as likely to develop other forms of dementia — and within five years of treatment!

Why, this could turn out to be one of the big reasons behind the giant surge in cases of dementia and Alzheimer’s.

And if you’re thinking that dementia means simple forgetfulness — something everyone over a certain age suffers from — well, it’s not. Dementia includes memory loss, but also losing your thinking skills and judgement to such an extent that you need help with daily activities.

As I said, testosterone is like a watchdog for the brain. One expert puts it this way: When you get rid of testosterone, it’s almost like the perfect setup for Alzheimer’s to take hold.

Of course, if this was some amazing way to cure prostate cancer, men might want to take the risk.

But it’s not even close to that.

Two years ago a large study found that for men with localized prostate cancer (who are also in the crosshairs for ADT), there’s “no added benefit” to it. And previously I told you about research done 20 years ago that found testosterone can help you fight prostate cancer by shrinking tumors.

While around a quarter-million new prostate cancer cases are diagnosed every year, over 90 percent of them are considered low-risk. These guys shouldn’t be asked to suffer the effects of ADT for one second!

If your doctor is encouraging you to start up on ADT treatments, it’s definitely time for a second opinion, or maybe even a new doctor.

Because the brain you save may be your own.

Sources:
“Hormone therapy for prostate cancer associated with greater risk of dementia” Shayla Love, October 13, 2016, STAT, statnews.com