[Change of serum adrenal androgens in prostatic cancer patients after bilateral orchidectomy or LHRH agonist treatment].

Bilateral orchidectomy (ORX) or administration of luteinizing hormone releasing hormone agonist (LHRH) for prostatic cancer patients causes suppression of testicular androgens. However, the suppression of adrenal androgens by these treatments is controversial. We measured serum concentrations of testosterone (T), 4-androstene-3, 17-dione (A-dione), dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), LH, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol before and after 3-12 months of the first hormonal treatment in 17 prostatic cancer patients who had received ORX (8 cases) or LHRH (9 cases). ORX and LHRH decreased serum T to the castration level significantly (ORX: p < 0.001, LHRH: p < 0.0001). ORX increased serum LH and FSH significantly (LH: p < 0.001, FSH: p < 0.001), whereas LHRH decreased LH and FSH significantly (LH: p < 0.05, FSH: p < 0.05). Neither treatment caused any significant change in ACTH or cortisol. ORX and LHRH decreased the serum A-dione significantly (ORX: p < 0.01, LHRH: p < 0.001). LHRH decreased the serum DHEA significantly (p < 0.01), whereas ORX did not decrease serum DHEA. These data suggest that "medical" and "surgical" castration, especially LHRH agonist, may decrease not only testicular androgens but also adrenal androgens.