Hormonal therapy for advanced prostatic carcinoma

Since the work of Huggins and Hodges, hormonal therapy, i.e., orchiectomy or estrogens, has been the gold standard of treatment for patients with advanced adenocarcinoma of the prostate. Recently, many new drugs have been introduced in the hope of achieving a beneficial response as compared with hormonal therapy, while avoiding some of the adverse effects. Various newer agents are reviewed. It appears that while these agents may be attractive secondary to specific effects, they do not appear to offer any survival advantage over diethylstilbestrol or orchiectomy. Finally, the theory of total androgen blockade is reviewed. Institution of total blockade does not appear to offer a survival advantage over standard androgen blockade.