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High‐dose danazol therapy in prostatic cancer patients: Endocrine and clinical effects
Author(s) -
Hedlund P. O.,
Freedman D.,
Esposti P.,
Gershagen S.,
Carlström K.
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
the prostate
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.295
H-Index - 123
eISSN - 1097-0045
pISSN - 0270-4137
DOI - 10.1002/pros.2990070402
Subject(s) - danazol , testosterone (patch) , sex hormone binding globulin , medicine , endocrinology , castration , endocrine system , prolactin , hormone , cancer , androgen , endometriosis
The effect of high‐dose—800 mg daily—danazol treatment was studied in ten prostatic cancer patients by repeated hormone analyses, clinical examinations, and cytological evaluations. Danazol caused a prompt decrease in the peripheral serum levels of testosterone, in some cases to castration values, as well as significantly suppressed FSH and LH values. Serum prolactin was not affected by danazol but the level of sex‐hormone‐binding globulin (SHBG) was strongly decreased. Serum danazol values ranged between 552 and 1,411 nM during treatment. Despite markedly decreased testosterone levels, danazol had only limited effect on the course of the prostatic cancer. This is probably explained by the ability of danazol to suppress SHBG levels, thus maintaining a rather high level of non‐protein‐bound, biologically active testosterone, even though total testosterone levels decrease to castration values.