[New development of endocrine therapy in prostate cancer]

Indication and new agents for endocrine therapy in prostate cancer were outlined, and new development of endocrine therapy was reviewed in terms of total androgen blockade (TAB) for advanced disease and localized disease as neoadjuvant setting, and antiandrogen withdrawal syndrome. TAB is considered to be useful in the treatment of patients with advanced prostate cancer, particularly those with minimal disease and good performance status. Neoadjuvant TAB therapy before radical prostatectomy may decrease cancer positive surgical margins. However, long-term follow-up data are required to determine the impact on survival. Antiandrogen withdrawal seems to be therapeutically efficacious for patients with hormone-refractory prostate cancer, with a response rate of about 20%. Therefore, antiandrogen withdrawal should be tried before initiating therapy for hormone-refractory prostate cancer.