The importance of continued endocrine treatment during chemotherapy of hormone-refractory prostate cancer.
OBJECTIVE
It is unclear if continuing with androgen deprivation in hormone-refractory prostate cancer is of any benefit. We report here 3 cases where continuation of androgen deprivation was essential in maintaining the response to chemotherapy.


RESULTS
In the 3 patients there was an initial response to chemotherapy before relapse, as assessed by prostate-specific antigen levels. However, restarting the previously ineffective hormone therapy resulted in continued response to chemotherapy.


CONCLUSIONS
In some patients continued androgen deprivation is essential to the response to chemotherapy. Presumably, in hormone-relapsed disease a significant proportion of the tumour can still be responsive to androgen deprivation.
Chao
D
D
Department of Oncology, UCL Medical School, Middlesex Hospital, London, UK.
Harland
S J
SJ
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000368:Aged; D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004054:Diethylstilbestrol / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018450:Disease Progression; D015251:Epirubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D017273:Goserelin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000097:blood; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*
D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal; D017273:Goserelin; D015251:Epirubicin; D004054:Diethylstilbestrol; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen; D002945:Cisplatin; D005472:Fluorouracil