[Advanced prostate cancer--an analysis of 17 cases]

Prostate cancer is a disease mostly effecting aged men. The incidence rate of this disease is much lower in China than in Europe and America. However, certain data have been accumulated indicating an increasing tendency in this country in recent years. The present report also supports this view and suggest the importance of strengthening of epidemiological research in this area in future. The problem how to treat patients with advanced prostate cancer is of essential importance since most cases are diagnosed in III or IV stage of the disease. In the present study, 10 out of 26 suspected cases (38.5%) was diagnosed by needle aspiration biopsy, being 90.9% of 11 cases confirmed histopathologically. The elevation of tumor maker acid phosphatase activity was positive in 8 out of 17 cases (47.1%). In this group, 11/17 (64.7%) received bilateral orchidectomy plus estrogenic hormones. The effective rate was 81.9% (9/11). Relapse occurred in 4 out of the 9 cases (44.4%), probably due to estrogenic hormone-dependence.