A scientist has warned that hormone therapy, which is given to most prostate cancer patients, could raise some patients’ risk of death.

Dr. Amy M. Doseretz of the Harvard Radiation Oncology Program presented her findings at a meeting of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology in Boston.

The study focused on the effects of androgen-deprivation therapy – often given before radiation treatment to lower male hormone levels and shrink the prostate – on men over 70. The hormone therapy lasted an average of three and a half months.

“We found that in this particular group of patients – early-stage prostate cancer patients over 70 – there was an increased risk for mortality,” Doseretz explained.

She emphasized that this result was noted among patients who were in the early stages of the disease, but not among those with aggressive cancer.

Ensuring you get sufficient quantities of zinc and selenium may reduce your risk of developing prostate problems. Herbal supplements containing saw palmetto have also been shown to be effective at maintaining prostate health.