Treatment of prostatic cancer with LH-RH analogues

Twenty-one of 32 patients with locally advanced prostatic cancer (stage C) were treated with the LH-RH analogue Buserelin for 7-19 months. After an initial sequence of subcutaneous injections, treatment was continued with intranasal spray application (three daily doses of 400 micrograms each) which ensured maintenance of serum testosterone within the range seen in castrated men. To evaluate the response of the primary tumor to Buserelin, cytological regression was established for all patients by fine-needle aspiration biopsy every 3 months. The cytological results corresponded with those of DNA analyses of single-cell cytophotometry showing a statistically significant drop of the grade of aneuploidy or polyploidy when the prostatic carcinoma responded positively to Buserelin therapy. Seventeen of 21 patients treated with the potent LH-RH analogue showed good therapy response. Four patients with no cytological signs of tumor regression received secondary treatment with estramustine phosphate because of hormone resistence. One patient had to be crossed over to cyclophosphamide, the third drug, for clinical progression after 15 months. Essential side effects have not been observed. Continuous treatment of locally advanced prostatic cancer with Buserelin, combined with close control of the patient, offers not only a real alternative to surgical castration--as the patient is spared the psychical stress of orchiectomy--but also to estrogen therapy with its risk of cardiovascular side effects.