A hormone therapy sometimes called “medical castration” that’s used to treat prostate cancer is of no help to patients in the early stages of the disease, according to a new study. What’s more, the treatment’s side effects far outweigh any potential benefit for most patients [Los Angeles Times].
The treatment, which cuts off the production of male hormones, has been found to be effective in treating aggressive prostate cancer that is spreading through the body; this prompted doctors to begin prescribing the hormone therapy to patients with early stage, localized tumors as well. But the results of this new study are likely to reverse that trend. Hormone therapy’s most obvious side effect is sexual dysfunction. Of greater concern are several recent studies linking [these] therapies to diabetes, heart disease, bone fractures, and reduced muscle mass [WebMD].
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The debate over the roots of homosexuality is possibly the most contentious manifestation of the “nature versus nurture” argument; gay rights advocates, gay rights opponents, and scientists have all joined the fray, advancing and criticizing different theories. With a new brain imaging study, the “nature” proponents seem to have gained a point in their favor.
Swedish researchers did MRI scans of 50 heterosexual men and women and 40 homosexual men and women and found surprising parallels. The brains of lesbians and straight men were anatomically symmetrical while the brains of gay men and straight women had a larger right brain hemisphere.
The researchers also looked at the amygdala, a part of the brain that’s associated with emotions, and found that straight women and gay men both have more connections between the amygdala and brain regions associated with anxiety and mood disorders. Meanwhile, the amygdala of lesbians and straight men had more connections to the region that controls fight or flight reactions.
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