The use of a GnRH agonist as a prostate cancer hormone therapy is also known as chemical castration. The hypothalamus produces an agent called Gonadotropin releasing hormone ( GnRH) which leads to the production of testosterone. Gonadotropin releasing hormone is sometimes referred to as luteinizing hormone releasing hormone ( LHRH). The GnRH agonist mimics normal GnRH and occupies the pituitary’s gland receptors which causes the testicles to begin producing large amounts of testosterone. This increase in production is known as hormone flare or tumor flare. The GnRH agonist has a longer biological half-life than normal GnRH, so the GnRH agonist continues to occupy the receptors. The body’s level of testosterone then drops to castrate level.
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