Cancer of the prostate: hormonal treatment and radiotherapy

Cancer of the prostate: hormonal treatment and radiotherapy

Swedish authors, in a work published in Lancet of January 24th, 2009, compared during nearly 10 years the effectiveness and the tolerance of the treatment of the cancer of the prostate locally advanced by hormonothérapie only and hormonothérapie more radiotherapy.

The hormonal treatment consisted of the administration of a agonist LH-RH, the leuproréline, Enantone LP*, an injection per month or an injection every 3 months, supplemented by the catch of an anti-androgen by oral way, the flutamide, Eulexine*. At the end of 3 months, only the anti-androgen by oral way, the flutamide or the bicalutamide, Casodex*, were continued.

A standard radiotherapy was implemented in the group receiving the 2 types of treatment.

The treatment associating hormonothérapie and radiotherapy was higher than the hormonothérapie only: on a 10 years follow-up mortality by cancer of the prostate was reduced of 12% and mortality all confused causes of 10%, without the undesirable effects being much more important. Dyspnea and tiredness were the most outstanding undesirable effects in the 2 groups.

Notice

To avoid the gynécomastie caused by the anti-androgen treatment, the majority of the patients had the centres irradiated at the beginning of treatment. See this publication. It is an example of prevention per radiotherapy of a medicamentous undesirable effect.