[Current treatments of cancer of the prostate]

Cancer of the prostate mainly occurs in elderly men and is becoming more frequent as the general European population gets older. Only through continuing progress in the already well developed therapeutic methods will mortality due to this cancer be curtailed. Prognosis of cancer limited to the prostate gland has been improved by radical surgery which reduces morbidity and mortality and advanced radiotherapy techniques. The potentially curable forms, still mainly detected by systematic rectal examination, can be defined better with magnetic resonance imagery and biological markers. Hormonal treatment for more extended or metastatic cancers is now based on several effective, well tolerated products. Chemotherapy has not been able to solve the problem of hormonal escape for which other therapeutic techniques are now under study.