title: Time course of serum testosterone and luteinizing hormone levels after cessation of long-term luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonist treatment in patients with prostate cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In order to elucidate the influence of hormone-releasing hormone (LH-RH) agonist therapy cessation on pituitary/testicular function and its clinical implications, we investigated prospectively hormonal (luteinizing hormone: LH; testosterone: T) responses in patients with prostate cancer who received long-term LH-RH 10 agonist therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  A consecutive 32 patients who had received LH-RH agonist therapy over 24 months were enrolled. As a baseline, T and LH were measured at the time of LH-RH agonist therapy cessation, monthly for 3 months, and subsequently, every 3 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median duration of LH-RH agonist therapy was 30 months (24-87 months) with median follow-up duration of 24 months following cessation. All patients had castrated T levels and suppressed LH levels at baseline. Median duration of castrated T levels following cessation was 6 months. Median time to normalization of T levels was 24 months. LH levels returned to normal within 3 months in all cases. Patients who received androgen deprivation therapy for 30 months or longer required a longer time for recovery of T levels. Patients over 65 years of age showed a statistically significant longer time for recovery of T levels (P=0.0167).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Long-term LH-RH agonist therapy has remarkable effects on serum T level that last for a significant time after cessation, a fact that should be applied to the interpretation of both PSA and serum T levels after cessation of androgen deprivation therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Okayama University, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan.
authors.forename: Haruki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kaku
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Saika
authors.forename: Tomoyasu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tsushima
authors.forename: Shin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ebara
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Senoh
authors.forename: Toyoko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamato
authors.forename: Yasutomo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nasu
authors.forename: Hiromi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kumon
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000819:agonists* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D013737:Testis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone; D013739:Testosterone; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone