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Obesity and Sex Steroids during Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Agonist Treatment for Prostate Cancer

Author's Affiliation: Division of Hematology and Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts

Requests for reprints: Matthew R. Smith, Massachusetts General Hospital, Yawkey 7038, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA 02114. Phone: 617-724-5257; Fax: 617-726-4899; E-mail: smith.matthew{at}mgh.harvard.edu.

Purpose: To evaluate effects of obesity on sex steroid levels during treatment with a gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist in men with prostate cancer.

Experimental Design: Forty-nine hormone-naïve men with recurrent or locally advanced prostate cancer were included in the analyses. All subjects were treated with leuprolide 3-month depot for 48 weeks. Serum levels of estradiol, sex hormone–binding globulin, total testosterone, and free testosterone were assessed at baseline, 24 weeks, and 48 weeks. Subjects were categorized by body mass index (BMI) and percent body fat.

Results: Pretreatment serum sex hormone–binding globulin and total testosterone levels were significantly lower in overweight and obese men than in men with normal BMI. In the overall study population, mean serum testosterone concentrations decreased from 372 ± 18 ng/dL at baseline to 13 ± 1 ng/dL at week 48 (P < 0.001). Free testosterone decreased from 6.75 ± 0.33 ng/dL at baseline to 0.21 ± 0.02 ng/dL at week 48 (P < 0.001). During treatment with leuprolide, obese men had significantly higher total and free testosterone levels than men with normal BMI. Compared with normal men, total and free testosterone levels during treatment were 1.8-fold and 2.3-fold higher in obese men. Similar results were observed when subjects were categorized by body fat.

Conclusions: Despite lower pretreatment serum testosterone levels, obese men have higher total and free testosterone levels during leuprolide treatment than men with normal BMI. These differences may contribute to the association between obesity and increased prostate cancer mortality.

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