title: Agonists of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone in prostate cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) has been the first-line standard of care for treating patients with hormone-sensitive advanced prostate cancer (PCa) for many decades. The agonists of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH), also called gonadotropin-releasing hormone, are still the most frequently used form of medical ADT.
  
  
  METHODS
  This article reviews the available data and most recent information concerning the use of LHRH agonists in advanced PCa. This article also reviews the discovery and development of LHRH agonists and summarizes the clinical evidence for their efficacy in PCa.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The introduction and application of agonists of LHRH has modernized and improved the treatment of advanced PCa. The life-saving benefits of LHRH agonists are well established, yet underestimated. Despite their efficacy, agonists of LHRH have several disadvantages or drawbacks including disease flare. The approach to ADT has been recently further refined with the development of the LHRH antagonist degarelix. Degarelix, a highly clinically effective third-generation LHRH antagonist, is currently available in most countries for therapy of advanced PCa. This new drug offers attractive alternatives to LHRH agonists for treatment of advanced PCa. A therapy for castration-resistant PCa based on a targeted cytotoxic analog of LHRH, AEZS-108, is also emerging.
authors.affiliation: Endocrine, Polypeptide, and Cancer Institute, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, South Florida Veterans Affairs Foundation for Research and Education , 1201 NW 16th St, Research (151), Room 2A103C, Miami, FL 33125 , USA +1 305 575 3477 ; +1 305 575 3126 ; ferencrick@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Ferenc G
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Rick
authors.forename: Norman L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Block
authors.forename: Andrew V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Schally
mesh_terms: D000726:Androgen Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000818:Animals; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000819:agonists*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000726:Androgen Antagonists; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone