Cancer Drugs that May Kill You

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Prostate Cancer Drugs That May Cause Sudden Death Now Require Warning

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By _ Keller_ (http://www.aolhealth.com/bloggers/karen-keller) Oct

21st 2010 1:41PM

Categories: _Men's Health_

(http://www.aolhealth.com/family-health/mens-health/)

Prostate cancer drugs that can cause _heart attack_

(http://www.aolhealth.com/conditions/heart-attack) , stroke, diabetes and even

sudden death must

now carry labels to warn patients of their potential risks, according to a

new U.S. Food and Drug Administration rule.

In May, the FDA first announced the _drugs_

(http://www.aolhealth.com/drugs) ' links to the health problems, saying

patients taking

gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists were at a small increased risk

for the health

complications.

" I think this was long due, " said Dr. Samadi, vice chair of Urology

at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City.

Brand-name drugs affected by the new labeling rule include Eligard, Lupron,

Synarel, Trelstar, Vantas, Viadur, and Zoladex. Generic drugs also have to

change their labels, today's FDA release says.

GnRH drugs work by reducing production of _testosterone_

(http://www.aolhealth.com/procedures/testosterone) , a hormone involved in the

growth of

_prostate cancer_ (http://www.aolhealth.com/condition-center/prostate-cancer) .

The drugs are often used in men who prefer to treat the _cancer_

(http://www.aolhealth.com/condition-center/cancer) through radiation instead of

removing the gland through surgery, Samadi said.

" A lot of times the risks [of taking the _medication_

(http://www.aolhealth.com/drugs) ] outweigh the benefit, " Samadi said. " As more

and more

patients read about side effects, they will choose surgery over radiation. "

Not only are the drugs bad especially for men with heart problems, but they

induce symptoms of " male menopause, " he said, causing _depression_

(http://www.aolhealth.com/condition-center/depression) , fatigue and weight

gain.

These changes occur naturally as men age and their testosterone drops, but

the drugs bring them on sooner, he said.

However, in very serious prostate cancer, the drugs still work wonders,

said Dr. Ana Aparicio, an assistant medical oncology professor at the

University of Texas' M.D. Cancer Center.

" These drugs are extremely effective of treating this disease, and in all

do make people feel better, " Aparicio said.

This year an estimated 32,050 men will die from prostate cancer and more

than 200,000 men will be diagnosed with the disease, according to the Centers

for Disease Control. Prostate cancer is the second most common type of

cancer among men in the U.S. after _skin cancer_

(http://www.aolhealth.com/condition-center/skin-cancer) .

More on Men's Health:

_Eating Fish May Cut Prostate Cancer Risk_

(http://www.aolhealth.com/2010/10/08/fish-may-cut-prostate-cancer-death-risk/)