[Hormone therapy of male genital cancer (prostatic cancer)]

Endocrine therapy for urological tumor includes estrogen therapy for prostatic carcinoma. This endocrine therapy is one of the most firmly established therapeutic methods in the field of clinical oncology. However, confusion exists about how long this treatment remains effective and whether it prolongs survival, since estrogen can create cardiovascular complications in patients with prostatic carcinoma. Recently, new endocrine agents have been developed to compensate for the problems of estrogen therapy and to make treatment more effective. Estramustine sodium phosphate is medicine for internal use prepared by combining estradiol with nitrogen mustard. This hormonal chemotherapeutic agent has proved effective in 98% of treated patients. Most of the side effects of this agent have been observed in the digestive organs. Chlormadinone acetate, a progestational agent, has proved more effective against early prostatic carcinoma than against late-stage disease. LHRH analogue, which is now drawing much attention as a "chemical castration" agent for prostatic cancer patients, exerts an effectiveness equal to medium-dose estrogen treatment. The above three agents for the treatment of prostatic carcinoma should become increasingly popular in the future.