Should men on long-term androgen-deprivation therapy for prostate cancer be screened and monitored for osteoporosis?
Intended for healthcare professionals
Evidence and practice    

Should men on long-term androgen-deprivation therapy for prostate cancer be screened and monitored for osteoporosis?

Louise Cunningham Oncology nurse specialist, The Sandra Chapman Centre, James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Great Yarmouth, England

Androgen-deprivation therapy is the main long-term treatment for men with advanced prostate cancer. A side effect of this therapy is secondary osteoporosis with associated reduction in bone mineral density, which increases the risk of fragility fractures and reduces patients’ quality of life. Screening and monitoring for osteoporosis in this patient group is variable, and can result in delayed prevention and treatment. This article reviews the literature on screening and monitoring for osteoporosis to consider the need for implementation of local guidelines for this patient group. It recommends implementation of screening and monitoring guidelines as part of clinical practice and holistic needs assessment, as there are clear benefits for patients, their families and NHS resources.

Cancer Nursing Practice. doi: 10.7748/cnp.2018.e1511

Citation

Cunningham L (2018) Should men on long-term androgen-deprivation therapy for prostate cancer be screened and monitored for osteoporosis? Cancer Nursing Practice. doi: 10.7748/cnp.2018.e1511

Peer review

This article has been subject to external double-blind peer review and checked for plagiarism using automated software

Correspondence

louise.cunningham@jpaget.nhs.uk

Conflict of interest

None declared

Published online: 08 August 2018

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