goserelin acetate at a glance
Medicine class
Gonadotrophin-releasing hormone agonist, also called an LHRH analogue.
Administration
A healthcare professional places the implant under the skin of the front abdominal wall.
Main roles
Hormone-sensitive prostate cancer, oestrogen-receptor-positive breast cancer and selected gynaecological or fertility indications.
What is goserelin acetate used for?
Licensed uses include:
Prostate cancer, including specified metastatic, locally advanced and peri-radiotherapy or post-prostatectomy settings.
Oestrogen-receptor-positive early or advanced breast cancer in premenopausal or perimenopausal women.
Endometriosis.
Thinning the womb lining before endometrial ablation or resection.
Improving anaemia associated with uterine fibroids before surgery, alongside iron treatment.
Pituitary downregulation as part of specialist assisted reproduction.
How does goserelin acetate work?
Goserelin initially stimulates and then desensitises pituitary GnRH receptors. This lowers testosterone in men and oestradiol in women. Hormone levels can briefly rise when treatment starts, temporarily worsening some symptoms before suppression develops.
goserelin acetate preparations and strengths
Implant
Route: Implant
Strengths: 3.6 mg
How to take goserelin acetate
A trained healthcare professional places the implant under the skin of the front abdominal wall using the supplied pre-filled applicator. It should not be self-injected. Food does not affect administration.
Tell the clinician if you take anticoagulants or have a very low body weight because injection-related vascular injury may be more likely.
Keep scheduled implant appointments even if you feel well.
Tell hospital staff and other clinicians that you receive goserelin.
goserelin acetate side effects
Common or expected effects
- Hot flushes and increased sweating.
- Reduced sex drive; erectile dysfunction in men or vaginal dryness in women.
- Pain, bruising, bleeding, redness or swelling at the implant site.
- Mood changes, including depression.
- Weight gain, joint pain and reduced bone density.
- Headache, acne or hair changes, particularly in women.
- Impaired glucose control, particularly in men.
Get urgent medical advice
- Allergic reaction with swelling, wheeze or breathing difficulty.
- Abdominal haemorrhage or vascular injury after implantation.
- Spinal cord compression or urinary tract obstruction in men with prostate cancer.
- Heart attack, heart failure, pulmonary embolism or clinically important heart-rhythm disturbance.
- Severe depression or marked changes in mental state.
- Pituitary haemorrhage, which may cause sudden severe headache, vomiting, visual loss or unconsciousness.
- Interstitial lung disease with new breathlessness or cough.
goserelin acetate in pregnancy
Goserelin is contraindicated during pregnancy because of a theoretical risk of pregnancy loss or fetal harm. Pregnancy should be excluded before treatment when relevant. Use non-hormonal contraception until menstrual cycles return; goserelin is not a contraceptive. Specialist assisted-reproduction use is an exception and remains closely supervised.
goserelin acetate while breastfeeding
Goserelin should not be used while breastfeeding. Discuss feeding options with the specialist team before treatment begins.
goserelin acetate interactions
Tell the prescriber about all prescribed, non-prescribed and herbal products. The clearest interaction concern is additive QT prolongation.
Class IA or III antiarrhythmics, including quinidine, disopyramide, amiodarone or sotalol
The combination may increase the risk of a serious abnormal heart rhythm and requires careful assessment.
Other QT-prolonging medicines, including methadone, moxifloxacin and some antipsychotics
Concurrent use may further increase the risk of QT prolongation and torsade de pointes.
Common questions about goserelin acetate
Answers are fully visible for fast scanning and source review.
Can symptoms worsen at first?
Yes. The initial hormone rise can temporarily worsen bone pain or other tumour symptoms before hormone suppression develops. Report significant or persistent deterioration promptly.
Can it stop periods?
It commonly suppresses periods by lowering oestrogen. Vaginal bleeding can occur early in treatment and should be assessed if it persists or is troublesome.
Will periods return after treatment?
Periods often return after treatment ends, but timing varies. Rarely, menopause occurs during treatment and periods do not resume.
Sources
These sources were used to prepare and review this medicine page.
Prepared and reviewed by the iatroX editorial team.