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Updated: Jul 4, 2026
07:25
A Bioluminescent and Fluorescent Orthotopic Syngeneic Murine Model of Androgen-dependent and Castration-resistant Prostate Cancer
Published on: March 6, 2018
Adjuvant hormonal treatment - the bicalutamide early prostate cancer program
Manfred P Wirth1, Oliver W Hakenberg, Michael Froehner
1Department of Urology, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technical University of Dresden, Dresden , Germany.
Frontiers of Radiation Therapy and Oncology
|June 12, 2008
Summary
Adjuvant hormonal therapy, like bicalutamide, may improve survival for advanced prostate cancer patients receiving radiotherapy. Early bicalutamide treatment delayed progression but did not improve survival in localized prostate cancer.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Urology
- Clinical Trials
Background:
- Adjuvant hormonal therapy (medical or surgical castration) shows survival benefits in advanced prostate cancer with external beam radiotherapy.
- Hormonal treatment post-prostatectomy benefits overall survival in node-positive patients compared to delayed treatment.
- Adjuvant hormonal therapy in node-negative advanced prostate cancer delays progression but not survival.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of early bicalutamide treatment (150 mg) versus placebo.
- To evaluate bicalutamide as monotherapy or adjuvant treatment after radical prostatectomy or external beam radiotherapy.
- To assess bicalutamide's impact on prostate cancer progression and overall survival.
Main Methods:
- The Bicalutamide Early Prostate Cancer Program, a large-scale randomized trial.
- Comparison of early 150 mg bicalutamide monotherapy or adjuvant treatment against placebo.
- Evaluation across different treatment settings: radical prostatectomy and external beam radiotherapy.
Main Results:
- Early bicalutamide treatment delayed objective prostate cancer progression regardless of primary treatment.
- Overall survival advantage was observed only in advanced prostate cancer patients receiving external beam radiotherapy.
- A trend towards decreased survival was noted in localized disease patients treated immediately with bicalutamide after watchful waiting.
Conclusions:
- Early bicalutamide treatment can delay prostate cancer progression.
- Bicalutamide offers survival benefits in advanced prostate cancer with external beam radiotherapy.
- Current evidence does not support bicalutamide use in localized prostate cancer.
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