Oestrogen patches could be used to treat prostate cancer patients

Patches that release oestrogen could be utilised as a safe treatment for prostate cancer, a new study has found.

Research funded by Cancer Research UK and published in the Lancet Oncology has discovered that the patches can be used to reduce levels of testosterone in men, much like the current LHRHa injections used as a hormone treatment.

The trial was led by a clinical researcher from Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, Imperial College London and the Medical Research Council Clinical Trials Unit.

The work compared the standard treatment of LHRHa injections with oestrogen patches for men with locally advanced prostate cancer or prostate cancer that has spread, in a bid to analyse the advantages and side effects of the patches.

Research also showed that those having the LHRHa treatment had higher blood glucose and cholesterol levels, which can cause the risk of heart disease to increase in comparison to men who receive patches.

Dr Ruth Langley, study author from the Medical Research Council Clinical Trials Unit, said: "These promising new findings suggest that we might be able to use oestrogen patches or an oestrogen gel to treat prostate cancer without significantly increasing the risk of heart disease and stroke.

"We think the reason oral oestrogen caused these side effects is because the oestrogen reached the liver in high concentrations straight from the stomach, whereas if the oestrogen can be absorbed through the skin the effect on the liver is avoided."

Kate Law, director of clinical and population research at Cancer Research UK, also commented on the work, finding that more men than ever before are now surviving prostate cancer thanks to the progress of research.

Ms Law described the trial as an "important step" towards more effective treatments that could provide huge benefits for men in future generations.

Posted by Ben Evans