Prostate cancer therapy could cause cataracts

An investigation by Dr Jennifer Beebe-Dimmer et al, Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit, Michigan, USA, has shown that androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) used for prostate cancer treatment could contribute towards the development of cataracts.

ADT has already been proven to increase the chances of developing diabetes and other heart problems.

The study included 66000 prostate cancer patients aged 66 or older from a US cancer registry. Almost half of the patients were treated by ADT within six months of diagnosis. For every 1000 patients studied, 111 cataracts were diagnosed.

The men treated with ADT had an average of 9% increased risk of developing cataracts. This rose by about 26% for the men who had their testicles removed.

In conclusion, it was estimated that 5% of cataract cases in patients with prostate cancer could be attributed to ADT.