[Future prospects for primary hormone therapy in localized and locally advanced prostate cancer]

The authors consider current and future prospects for primary hormone therapy in localized and locally advanced prostate cancer by comparing this form of treatment (hormone monotherapy) with neoadjuvant radiation therapy and radical prostatectomy. Neoadjuvant hormone therapy prior to radiation therapy has been proven effective in recent years, and currently the United States is showing a year-by-year increase in the use of androgen blocking agents during the early stage of prostate cancer. A survey of recent research findings, clearly showed that, for patients with localized prostate cancer, there is no significant difference in survival rate between hormone monotherapy and radical prostatectomy. In the future we can expect to see an increase in available treatment options for localized and locally advanced prostate cancer, with the optimal therapy for each individual patient to be selected by the attending physician in discussion with the patient.