[Altered urinary calcium excretion in prostate cancer patients subjected to androgen deprivation. Preliminary pilot study results.]

OBJECTIVES: Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) in prostate cancer is associated with the appearance of different adverse effects. Among these effects, notable ones that may affect metabolism are osteoporosis and metabolic syndrome. The aim of this study is to analyse lithogenic risk markers three months after initiating treatment with LHRH analogue.

METHODS: Pilot study encompassing 15 prostate cancer patients who were candidates for ADT, which they received in the form of quarterly doses of goserelin 10.8 mg. A blood and urine analyses for lithogenic risk, bone and metabolic markers were carried out, as was a study of metabolic syndrome criteria. Statistical analysis was performed with SPSS 17.0, taking P≤.05 to be statistically significant.

RESULTS: Patients included in the study had a mean age of 72.46 ± 6.61 years. We observed a significant increase in the percentage of metabolic syndrome (20% versus 46.7%; P<.05) and insulin resistance index (1.87 versus 2.96; P=.01) at 3 months treatment. There was a notable increase in bone remodelling markers and significant increases in 24 h urinary calcium values (9.46 versus 14.57 mg/dl; P=.008), 24 h urinary calcium excretion index (0.10 versus 0.13 mg/dl GF [glomerular filtration]; P=.01) and the fasting calcium/ creatinine ratio (0.107 versus 0.195; P=.007), without any changes to other lithogenous risk markers.

CONCLUSIONS: Androgen deprivation therapy can lead to the short-term appearance, primarily when fasting, of hypercalciuria in prostate cancer patients, possibly in association with bone metabolism.