Introduction:
Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in males. Its risk increases with age. So does the risk for cardiovascular disease. Androgen receptor-targeted therapy is now recommended to be added to androgen-deprivation therapy in the treatment of prostate cancer. We present common cardiovascular adverse events seen with the use of anti-androgens medication: abiraterone, enzalutamide, apalutamide, and darolutamide.
Methods:
We conducted a meta-analysis of 13 multinational randomized phase III clinical trials looking for cardiovascular adverse events in groups that received abiraterone, enzalutamide, apalutamide and darolutamide for treatment of prostate cancer. We analyzed a cohort of 9867 patients in these trials.
Results:
In the abiraterone usage group (n= 3492), most common cardiovascular adverse event was hypertension reported in 16.03%. Atrial fibrillation was reported in 0.97% and other cardiovascular events (IHD, MI, SVT, VT, and heart failure) were seen in 9.56%. In the enzalutamide usage group (n=4094) hypertension was seen in 10.6%, IHD in 1.88%, and atrial fibrillation was seen in 0.39%. Other unspecified cardiovascular adverse events were reported in 5.98%. In the apalutamide usage group (n=1327) hypertension was seen in 22%. Other cardiovascular adverse events (atrial fibrillation, MI, cardiogenic shock) were seen in 0.96%. In the darolutamide usage group (n=954) hypertension was seen in 6.6%, coronary artery disorders (coronary artery disease, coronary artery occlusion and stenosis) in 3.24%, and heart failure in 1.88%.
Conclusions:
The most common cardiovascular adverse event with use of anti-androgen medication seen in this large cohort analysis was hypertension with highest incidence seen in apalutamide group. Other cardiovascular side-effects noted were atrial fibrillation, SVT, VT, ischemic heart disease, MI, heart failure, and cardiogenic shock. Abiraterone and enzalutamide are the drugs that have been used in most trials. FDA adverse reaction reporting system (FAERS) shows hypertension as the most commonly reported cardiovascular adverse event with abiraterone and enzalutamide use. More prospective studies are needed to further access cardiovascular risk with use of anti-androgen therapy.
Heart Failure With Cardiogenic Shock as a Manifestation of Untreated POEMS (Polyneuropathy, Organomegaly, Endocrinopathy, Monoclonal Protein, Skin Changes) Syndrome
