73 Background: Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is the mainstay of treatment for advanced prostate cancer, improving symptoms and prolonging survival. There is an association between ADT use and cardiovascular events, particularly in men with pre-existing risk factors. There are no definite guidelines to stratify patients based on cardiovascular risk prior to ADT initiation. This is the first study on cardiac risks and events in patients on ADT from Lebanon and the Middle East region, a population known to have a high prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors. Methods: A retrospective chart review of 236 patients with prostate cancer who received ADT therapy at a tertiary care center in Lebanon was performed. 167 had a full set of data and were included in analysis. Cardiovascular risk factors at baseline and cardiovascular events on ADT were reviewed. Results: The median age of our cohort was 68, range 48-92 years. The majority of patients had stage 4 diseases at diagnosis (49.8%) with a median duration of 12 months on ADT. In our cohort 24.4% had body mass index > 30, 52.1% had smoking history, 27.4% were diabetic, 28.8 % had history of coronary artery disease, 10.6% had heart failure history and 54.6% had hypertension. Less than half of the patients had a documented lipid profile at baseline. Twenty two patients (9.5%) had documented cardiac events following ADT initiation. Conclusions: In this cohort of patients from the Middle East we found that one third of the population had established coronary artery disease at baseline and 9.5% had documented cardiac events on ADT initiation. Our study highlights the gaps in cardiovascular risk assessment for this high risk group of patients with prostate cancer. Risk and resource-stratified algorithms are needed before starting ADT therapy for optimal cardiovascular health. Increased awareness, collaboration and referral mechanisms between oncologists, urologist and cardiologists are also needed.
High rates of advanced prostate cancer in the Middle East: Analysis from a tertiary care center
