leuprolide

Meaning of leuprolide: Leuprolide is a hormone-suppressing injectable used for advanced prostate cancer, early puberty, and certain gynecologic conditions, sold under names including Lupron.

Definition of leuprolide

Leuprolide is the active ingredient in an injectable medication, sold under brand names including Lupron and Eligard among others, that belongs to a class of drugs called gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists. It is used to treat advanced prostate cancer, central precocious puberty in children, and certain gynecologic conditions such as endometriosis and uterine fibroids.

Leuprolide works by continuously stimulating the pituitary gland's receptors for gonadotropin-releasing hormone, which initially causes a brief increase in hormone production before the pituitary gland's response becomes desensitized. With continued use, this ultimately suppresses the release of luteinizing hormone and follicle stimulating hormone, which in turn lowers testosterone in males and estradiol in females.

By lowering testosterone, leuprolide can slow the growth of prostate cancer cells that depend on testosterone to grow, and by lowering estradiol, it can reduce the hormone driven growth of tissue involved in endometriosis and fibroids. Because of its initial stimulating effect, leuprolide is sometimes given together with another medication for a short period at the start of treatment.