Antiandrogens in the treatment of prostatic cancer

Since prostatic carcionma is hormone dependent, treatment of this tumor has been carried out in this department over the last 10 years employing antiandrogens, particularly cyproterone acetate (CPA), associated in some cases with orchiectomy. Of 500 patients thus treated, the author reports on 236 patients with a 5-year follow-up and 184 with a 7-year follow-up. Of these, 126 (53.4%) had not received hormone treatment whereas 110 (46.6%) had been treated with estrogens. The mean survival rate was 64.4% at 5 years and 56.3% at 7 years in these patients and 51 and 43%, respectively, in the estrogen-treated patients. The author emphasizes that not only is CPA of great value in the treatment of prostatic carcinoma, but it is also useful in determining the hormone dependency of the tumor which is indispensable before proceeding with hormone therapy.