Hormone drug: Leuprorelin acetate (Brand names: Prostap® SR, Prostap® 3)
The information on this page comes from our Tool Kit fact sheet on Leuprorelin. To order your own tailored copy of the Tool Kit, visit our publications page. You can also download and print a PDF version of this fact sheet.
The page is for men who are about to start, or are already taking, leuprorelin to control their prostate cancer. It explains how the drug is taken, why it is used and what side effects it may cause. Read our Hormone therapy pages for more information about how hormone therapy is used to treat prostate cancer. We hope these fact sheets will help you to make decisions about your treatment. They should be used together with the information that comes with your medicine and the advice of your specialist team or pharmacist.
- What is leuprorelin?
- How do I take leuprorelin?
- What happens if I miss an injection?
- What are the side effects?
- How long will I need to take leuprorelin?
- More information
What is leuprorelin?
Leuprorelin is a form of hormone therapy called an LHRH (luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone) agonist. Its brand name is Prostap®.
Leuprorelin and other LHRH agonists work by stopping the brain from telling your body to make testosterone. Without testosterone the prostate cancer cells are not able to grow. Leuprorelin will not cure prostate cancer but ut can keep the cancer under control for many months or years.
How do I take leuprorelin?
Leuprorelin is injected either into the muscle or just under the skin of the upper arm, abdomen (tummy) or thigh. The injection can be painful and your skin may darken or redden for a short time afterwards. You may be given the injection by your GP, practice nurse, district nurse or at your local hospital.
You may have the injections every four weeks or every three months, depending on the dose of the drug. The two doses work equally well at controlling the cancer. 1 The only difference between them is the length of time the drug works for.
Drug |
Dose |
How often |
Prostap® SR |
3.75 mg |
Every four weeks |
Prostap® 3 |
11.25 mg |
Every three months |
Flare
A few days before you start treatment with leuprorelin acetate, you may need to take a short course of another type of hormone therapy drug called an anti-androgen such as bicalutamide, flutamide or cyproterone acetate. This is to prevent the body’s normal response to the first injection, which is to produce testosterone. This temporary rise in testosterone could cause the cancer to grow more quickly for a short time. This is known as a flare. Taking an anti-androgen tablet can help to prevent this flare. You will start taking the tablets a week or so before the first injection and continue taking them for a week or two afterwards.
What happens if I miss an injection?
The prostate cancer will not spread if your injection is delayed by a few days. If you miss your treatment for longer than this, your body may start producing more testosterone and this could cause the cancer cells to grow. If this happens you will need to start hormone injections again with a short course of anti-androgen tablets to prevent tumour flare.
What are the side effects?
Like all drugs, leuprorelin can cause side effects 2 in some men. The risk of side effects may vary depending on the dose you are taking. We have listed the most common ones here but you should tell your specialist team if you notice any other changes while you are having treatment.
Some men get very few side effects and others get more. Many side effects will only last for as long as you are taking the drug. However, if you take leuprorelin for a long period of time, it may take several months after you finish treatment for the side effects to stop.
You can find out more about the side effects of hormone therapy and ways that you can manage them by reading our booklet Living with hormone therapy: A guide for men with prostate cancer. |
Before you take leuprorelin you should tell your doctor if you have diabetes, liver problems or depression. This is because leuprorelin can sometimes make these problems worse. You should also let your specialist team know if you are taking any prescription or over-the-counter medicines. If you have any questions or worries about any side effects, speak to your specialist team. You can also call our confidential Helpline on 0800 074 8383.
Loss of sex drive and erectile dysfunction
Men taking leuprorelin may also lose their desire for sex (libido). Most men taking leuprorelin will also have problems getting and keeping an erection.
In most cases this will last as long as you are on hormone therapy and may take a while to return to normal if you stop the treatment.
Hot flushes
Hot flushes give you a sudden feeling of warmth in the upper body and can be similar to those experienced by women going through the menopause. These usually start in the first month of treatment. Hot flushes can vary from a few seconds of feeling overheated to a few hours of sweating that can stop you from sleeping or cause discomfort.
Bone thinning
If you take leuprorelin for more than a few months, it may cause your bones to become weaker (osteoporosis). If you already have osteoporosis, a family history of osteoporosis or have had factures in the past, talk to your doctor before you start treatment with leuprorelin.
Breast swelling and tenderness
A small number of men will have swollen breasts (gynaecomastia) and tenderness in the breast area. This can affect one or both breasts and can range from mild sensitivity to ongoing pain. The amount of swelling can also vary from a small amount to a more noticeable enlarged area.
Tiredness
Some men taking leuprorelin may feel tired. 3 You may find that your tiredness improves over time but many men find that regular exercise gives them more energy and helps them to better cope with treatment. 4
| Reporting unusual side effects: The Yellow Card Scheme If you think you are experiencing a side effect from your medication that is not mentioned in the information leaflet that comes with it, then you can report it using the Yellow Card Scheme. This is run by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). They will investigate and if they find a problem with a medication then the MHRA will take action to protect the public. There are three ways you can report a side effect: |
How long will I need to take leuprorelin?
You can take leuprorelin for as long as it is controlling the cancer. Speak to your specialist team of call our confidential Helpline for information on other treatments that can be used if hormone therapy is no longer controlling the cancer.
More information
To find out more about hormone therapy you can read:
- The hormone therapy pages. They give an overview of different types of hormone therapy.
- The booklet Living with hormone therapy: A guide for men with prostate cancer. This includes more detailed information on side effects and ways to manage them.
Reviewed by:
- Mr Simon F Brewster, Consultant Urological Surgeon, Churchill Hospital, Oxford and Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer in Surgery, University of Oxford
- Bruce Turner, Uro-oncology Nurse Practioner, Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Whipps Cross University Hospital NHS Trust, London
- Deborah Victor, Urology Cancer Clinical Nurse Specialist, Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust, Truro
- Lucy Powell, Urology Cancer Nurse Specialist, Essex Rivers NHS Trust
- Cathryn Woodward, Consultant Clinical Oncologist, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge
- The Prostate Cancer Charity Information Volunteers
- The Prostate Cancer Charity Support & Information Specialist Nurses
Written and edited by:
The Prostate Cancer Charity Information Team
References used in the production of this page
1. Wechsel, H W et al. Randomized open labelled comparative study of the efficacy, safety and tolerability of leuprorelin acetate in 1 month and 3 month depot in patients with advanced prostatic cancer. Eur Urol 1996;30 (suppl1): 7-14
2. Summary of Product Characteristics Prostap 3 Leuprorelin Acetate Depot Injection 11.25mg / Prostap SR Leuprorelin Acetate depot Injection 3.75mg. Available at: http://emc.medicines.org.uk
3. Keinle Em Lubben G. Efficacy and safety of leuprorelin acetate depot for prostate cancer. Urol Int 1996; 56 (Suppl 1): 23-30
4. Segal RJ, Reid RD, Courneya KS et al. Resistance training in men receiving androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer. Journal of Clinical Oncology 2003; 21: 1653-1659.