A longer duration of neo-adjuvant combined androgen blockade prior to radical prostatectomy may lead to lower tumour volume of localised prostate cancer.
OBJECTIVE
To analyse tumour volume (TV) in clinically localised prostate cancer patients treated with neo-adjuvant combined androgen blockade (CAB) therapy prior to radical prostatectomy.


METHODS
Two hundred consecutive patients treated between 1996 and 2000 were retrospectively analysed. Fifty patients underwent radical prostatectomy alone and 45 were treated with CAB for 1-3 months, 83 for 4-6 months and 22 for more than 6 months before surgery. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the strongest independent prognosticator of organ-confined disease.


RESULTS
No evidence of residual cancer was found in 11 specimens (5.6%). Regarding TV, 20 specimens showed less than 0.1cc, 33 between 0.1 and 0.49cc and 86 more than 0.5cc. Smaller TV was found in CAB-treated patients. Significant correlation was observed between treatment duration and TV. In logistic regression analysis, only CAB duration and TV were significantly correlated with organ-confined disease.


CONCLUSIONS
Prominent regressive features and lower TV were found after neo-adjuvant CAB. It seems that more prolonged treatment may lead to greater tumoural regression. Only tumour burden and length of CAB therapy were independent variables significantly correlated with pathologically localised prostate cancer.
Lorente
J A
JA
Department of Urology, Hospital del Mar, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Passeig Maritim 25-29, E-08003, Barcelona, Spain.
Arango
O
O
Bielsa
O
O
Cortadellas
R
R
Lloreta-Trull
J
J
Gelabert-Mas
A
A
D000726:Androgen Antagonists / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000813:Anilides / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D006801:Humans; D016729:Leuprolide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D009570:Nitriles; D011468:Prostatectomy; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013997:Time Factors; D014105:Tosyl Compounds; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000726:Androgen Antagonists; D000813:Anilides; D009570:Nitriles; D014105:Tosyl Compounds; C053541:bicalutamide; D016729:Leuprolide