Impact of Androgen Deprivation Therapy on Cognitive Function of Elderly Men With Prostate Cancer

Background Prostate cancer affects millions of men worldwide. Androgen deprivation therapy is the most prescribed medication for elderly men with prostatic cancer to slow and suppress the disease progression. Androgen deprivation therapy works on decreasing testosterone levels, and that can cause multiple side effects, including potential cognitive affection in the form of accelerating cognitive aging and potentially increasing the risk of dementia. This study is aimed at evaluating the impact of androgen deprivation therapy on the cognitive function of elderly men recently diagnosed with prostate cancer. Methods The current research is a prospective cohort study conducted on 85 elderly patients recently diagnosed with prostate cancer who are about to start androgen deprivation therapy within two weeks of the diagnosis. These patients were recruited from the oncology and geriatrics outpatient clinics of Ain Shams University hospitals and were followed up on androgen deprivation therapy for at least six months. Cognitive and depression assessments were done using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment Test and Montreal Cognitive Assessment Test-Basic (according to their education) and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. The cases were assessed at the start, after two months, and after six months of androgen deprivation therapy use. Cognitively impaired or depressed patients were excluded at the beginning of the study. Results This study showed that 49 out of 85 (57.6%) of the studied participants had a lower Montreal cognitive assessment test score average after six months, indicating mild cognitive impairment. Cognitive domains such as visuospatial, language, and attention were affected. About one-third of the participants were diagnosed with depression after six months of the androgen deprivation therapy. All the depressed participants had cognitive impairment. Conclusion The use of androgen deprivation therapy carries the risk of cognitive decline and regression of some of the cognitive domains such as language, visuospatial, attention, and depression in the elderly with recently diagnosed prostate cancer who received ADT for six months. Conversely, depression could not be linked to cognitive decline. Further research should continue exploring the relationship between cognitive decline and ADT and seek strategies to mitigate these effects, ensuring comprehensive patient care targeting cognitive and psychological well-being.