[Maximal androgen blockade and maximal androgen blockade combined with 125I brachytherapy for prostatic cancer]

To assess the effect of the maximal androgen blockade(MAB) and MAB combined with 125I brachytherapy on prostatic cancer.

Forty-four patients with prostatic cancer (from 1993 to 2002), 28 at pathologic stage C and 16 at stage D, were analyzed retrospectively. Thirty-five of them were treated by bilateral orchidectomy and anti-androgen drugs, i.e. MAB, and 9 treated by MAB combined with 125I brachytherapy. The survival rates and the variation of serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels between pre- and post-treatment were compared.

The level of PSA decreased from 60.3 micrograms/L to 12.1 micrograms/L in 35 patients treated by MAB, and from 72.1 micrograms/L to 3.6 micrograms/L in 9 patients treated by MAB combined with 125I brachytherapy after 6 months. The post-treatment survival rates were 81.3% (26/32, excluding 3 deaths by other diseases) for patients treated by MAB after a mean follow-up of 39.2 (9-84) months and 100% for patients by MAB combined with 125I brachytherapy after a mean follow-up of 13(7-24) months.

MAB and MAB combined with 125I brachytherapy are effective for patients with prostatic cancer.