Steroid hormone withdrawal syndromes - Pathophysiology and clinical significance

Data now confirm that 30% of patients have meaningful subjective, biochemical, and objective responses to the withdrawal of steroid hormone as the first maneuver after primary hormonal failure. This syndrome initially was recognized in patients treated with flutamide, but experience now suggests that this is a more generalized phenomenon that involves the other members of the steroid hormone superfamily. The cause of this effect is unknown, but studies suggest that the androgen receptor plays a critical role.