RT Journal
A1 Blankfield RP
T1 ANdrogen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer and cardiovascular death
JF JAMA
JO JAMA
YR 2012
FD March 28
VO 307
IS 12
SP 1252
OP 1253
DO 10.1001/jama.2012.352
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jama.2012.352
AB 
To the Editor: The validity of the results of the meta-analysis by Dr Nguyen and colleagues1 regarding an association between androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) and cardiovascular death in patients with prostate cancer is suspect because the 8 studies that met the inclusion criteria may be biased. Androgen deprivation therapy was administered for a time interval that was less than the duration of data collection in 6 of the 8 studies, thereby introducing timing bias. In these 6 studies, ADT was administered for a period ranging from 3 months to 5.1 years, whereas the median duration of data collection in these studies ranged from 7.6 to 13 years. Because the time interval of ADT administration differs from the time interval of data collection in these studies, it is problematic to use them to test whether there is an association between ADT and cardiovascular death.