placebo + androgen deprivation therapy

This is a combination regimen used in clinical trials or studies where patients receive both a placebo (an inert substance with no therapeutic effect) and androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). ADT is an antihormone treatment primarily used to manage prostate cancer by reducing levels of male hormones (androgens), such as testosterone, which fuel the growth of prostate cancer cells. ADT can be achieved through surgical castration or more commonly via pharmaceutical agents like gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists/antagonists or antiandrogens. The addition of a placebo in this context serves as a control arm in randomized controlled trials to assess the efficacy and safety of new interventions when added to standard-of-care ADT[6][7][10]. The mechanism of action for ADT involves suppression or blockade of the androgen receptor pathway, leading to decreased stimulation and proliferation of prostate cancer cells[1][2][3].

Other names

placebo plus ADTplacebo and androgen deprivation therapyplacebo + androgen ablation therapyplacebo + hormone therapy for prostate cancer