Severe symptomatic osteoporosis in patients on androgen deprivation therapy for prostatic carcinoma.

We report 3 patients referred to the bone clinic after spinal fractures. Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry showed severe osteoporosis. Each patient was found to have a history of prostatic carcinoma and long-term treatment with goserelin. We suggest that all patients who have received androgen deprivation therapy for more than 1 year should be evaluated by bone densitometry.