WASHINGTON, D.C.—Contrary to emerging evidence, a new study suggests that androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) does not increase the risk of cardiovascular mortality, according to data presented at the American Urological Association 2011 annual meeting.

The study examined data from 7,248 PCa patients in the CaPSURE (Cancer of the Prostate Strategic Urologic Research Endeavor) registry, a longitudinal, observational study of men with all stages of biopsy-proven PCa. Compared with patients who received local treatment only, those who received ADT had a twofold increased odds of cardiovascular mortality, but so did patients managed with watchful waiting/active surveillance, said lead researcher Sanoj Punnen, MD, of the University of California in San Francisco.

When the researchers selected a subset of 1,391 subjects and matched them for their propensity to receive ADT, they found no significant difference in cardiovascular mortality between men who received ADT and those who did not, Dr. Punnen said.

Previous studies have suggested a link between ADT and cardiovascular mortality in PCa patients, but Dr. Punnen said this relationship may be confounded by factors related to treatment selection. “Patients selected to undergo androgen deprivation therapy are often older and have more comorbidities, and as a result they are more likely to have cardiovascular mortality,” Dr. Punnen said. “It may not have anything to do with the ADT itself.”