Dictionary of Cancer Terms
View in Spanish: Degarelix
Degarelix (DEH-guh-REL-ix)
A drug that is used to treat advanced prostate cancer and is also being studied in the treatment
of benign prostatic hyperplasia. Degarelix binds to gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH)
receptors in the pituitary gland. This causes the body to stop making testosterone, which
prostate cancer needs to grow. Degarelix is a type of GnRH antagonist.
Source: National Cancer Institute Dictionary of Cancer Terms, available at www.cancer.gov/dictionary.