Ces Urol 2003, 7(2):11-16 | DOI: 10.48095/cccu2003012

Intermitent androgen suppresion in the treatment of prostate cancer

M. Matoušková, M. Hanuš

Urocentrum Praha

Prostate adenocarcinomas occupy the second position among the malignant carcinomas of male population. The endocrine therapy presents the choice therapy for stage III and IV patients. The response to the hormonal manipulation is limited even in sensitive tumours and the tumour is out of control. Certain possibility to take away the transition to the hormone - independent cancer is the intermittent androgen suppression.
We present the group of 33 men treated with IAS. 9 of them formerly underwent the radical surgical or radiation therapy, in 24 the tumour was locally advanced or generalised without precedent therapy.
The prostatic specific antigen levels varied according to the timing of the therapy. The average period without therapy was 9.2 months during the first cycle, 6.7 months in the second cycle, 5.6 months in third cycle. The period to the progression is the same as in the continual hormonal suppression in the patients with generalisations, in other patients it seems to be longer. Due to the limited number of observations it is not possible to determine it explicitly and it requires other follow-ups.
Thus the advantages of IAS are in repeated induction of apoptic potential of malignant tumour, the preservation of the quality of life with exclusion of the problems incidental to the long-term androgen suppression. If we compare the economic aspects of the total androgen blockage and IAS, the result is explicit.

Keywords: hormone-independent prostate cancer, intermittent androgen suppression, PSA tumour, lack of androgens symptoms

Published: March 1, 2003