# Cyproterone acetate

Source: https://onco.cc/drugs/cyproterone/  
OnCo record `cyproterone` (Treatment). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

Cyproterone is a hormone tablet for prostate cancer, used in the UK to block the brief testosterone surge when hormone injections start, as a treatment when other options do not suit, and to ease hot flushes caused by hormone therapy.

## Summary

The UK SmPC for Cyprostat covers management of prostatic cancer "(1) to suppress 'flare' with initial LHRH analogue therapy, (2) in long-term palliative treatment where LHRH analogues or surgery are contraindicated, not tolerated, or where oral therapy is preferred, and (3) in the treatment of hot flushes in patients under treatment with LHRH analogues or who have had orchidectomy". NICE NG131 says to consider cyproterone acetate (50 mg twice a day for 4 weeks) for troublesome hot flushes if medroxyprogesterone is not effective or not tolerated, and Cancer Care Ontario lists it among the options for men with vasomotor symptoms. It is not marketed in the US. Because one of its indications treats the cancer itself, it is not counted as a supportive medicine.

## Fields

- Kind: Treatment
- Status: approved
- Last checked: 2026-11-11
- Tags: generic; supportive-care-gaps-2026-11
- Brand: Cyprostat / Androcur
- Modality: Steroidal antiandrogen with progestogenic activity (oral)
- Mechanism: Blocks androgen action on the tumour directly and, through its progestogenic activity, lowers gonadotrophin release and so testicular androgen production (UK SmPC 5.1).
- Approvals: UK 2008: Management of prostate cancer: suppression of flare with initial LHRH analogue therapy, long-term palliative treatment, and hot flushes under LHRH analogues or after orchidectomy

## Sources

- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyproterone_acetate
- UK SmPC (emc): Cyprostat 50 mg: https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/15997/smpc
- NICE NG131: Prostate cancer, diagnosis and management, recommendations 1.4.3 to 1.4.5 (hot flushes): https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng131/chapter/Recommendations
- Barbera et al., Interventions to address sexual problems in people with cancer (Cancer Care Ontario guideline, Curr Oncol 2017), vasomotor symptoms: https://doi.org/10.3747/co.24.3583

## Connected records

- drugs: [Gabapentin](https://onco.cc/drugs/gabapentin/), [Venlafaxine](https://onco.cc/drugs/venlafaxine/)
- cancers: [Prostate cancer](https://onco.cc/cancers/prostate/)
- terms: [Hot flushes on hormone therapy](https://onco.cc/terms/hot-flushes-on-hormone-therapy/)

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JSON: https://onco.cc/api/v1/entities/cyproterone.json