Evaluation of the criteria for renewal of LHRH agonists in patients with prostate cancer: results of the ANAREN Study.
Calleja-Escudero. Jesús J; Barrondo. Víctor V; Rodriguez-Alonso. Andrés A; Gómez-Veiga. Francisco F; Bestard. Joan J; Gómez-Caamaño. Antonio A; Grandoulier. Anne-Sophie AS; Pérez-Sampietro. Maria M; Chantada-Abal. Venancio V; Poza de Celis. Raúl R
Key Findings
- 95.7% of patients renewed their initial LHRHa prescription at the first follow‑up and 75% at the final 24‑month visit
- Switches between 3‑month and 6‑month formulations were rare and driven by personal preference or convenience
- Quality‑of‑life scores remained stable; urinary and bowel symptoms didn’t change, while sexual activity showed a modest improvement
Practical Outcomes
- Both 3‑month and 6‑month LHRHa dosing schedules are well tolerated and maintain quality of life, so choose the interval that best fits your schedule and comfort. Minimal switching suggests sticking with the initial formulation is fine, and patients can expect stable health metrics and high satisfaction over two years.
Summary
The study looked at men with prostate cancer who were given hormone shots (triptorelin, leuprorelin, or goserelin) every 3 or 6 months for two years. Almost all kept using the same drug, only a few switched between 3‑month and 6‑month versions, mainly for convenience. Quality‑of‑life stayed steady, with no change in urinary or bowel issues and a slight boost in sexual activity, and both doctors and patients were very satisfied.
Abstract
Injectable extended-release formulations of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonists (LHRHa) have simplified the treatment of prostate cancer with a satisfactory level of androgen castration. This study aims to determine the percentage of patients whose initial LHRHa prescription was renewed during follow-up, how many changed formulation and how their quality of life evolved. This is an observational, prospective, multicentre study of men with prostate cancer who were to receive treatment with LHRHa (triptorelin every 3 or 6 months, leuprorelin every 3 or 6 months, or goserelin every 3 months) for 24 months. The treatment used was recorded and quality of life was assessed (QLQ-PR25 questionnaire) at four follow-up visits. A total of 497 men (median age 75 years) were evaluated. The median exposure to LHRHa was 24 months. The initial prescription was renewed in 95.7% at follow-up 1 and 75% at follow-up 4. The main reason for changing from a 6-month to a 3-month formulation was a preference for sequential treatment (according to the investigator) and to see the physician more frequently (according to the patient). The main reason for switching from the 3-month to 6-month formulation was simplification of treatment (according to the investigator) and for convenience (according to the patient). Findings in the QLQ-PR25 questionnaire revealed no changes in urinary or bowel symptoms, though an improvement in sexual activity was reported. Practically all investigators and patients were satisfied/very satisfied with the treatment. Changes in formulation were scarce and generally justified by convenience factors or personal preferences. Patients maintained a good health status, with a high rate of retention of LHRHa treatment. Study number: A-ES-52014-224.A plain language summary is provided as supplementary material (available at: https://www.drugsincontext.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/dic.2024-2-2-Suppl.pdf).
Study Information
pubmed
2024
2024-06-19T00:00:00.000Z
10.7573/dic.2024-2-2
26