title: [Estramustine phosphate withdrawal syndrome in relapsed prostate cancer: two case reports].
abstract: The decrease of the level of serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) after discontinuation of estramustine phosphate (EMP) has rarely been reported. We report 2 cases in whom EMP withdrawal syndrome was encountered. Case 1 was a 68-year-old man with a complaint of paresis of lower limbs. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer with multiple bone metastases. The serum PSA level was 9,300 ng/ml. He was treated with luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonist (LH-RHa) and bicalutamide (BCL). Six months later, EMP was started against PSA failure. During the 3-year treatment with EMP, PSA decreased to the nadir of 0.7 ng/ml and gradually increased to 14 ng/ml. After withdrawal of EMP, PSA decreased to 0.3 ng/ml (97.9% decline) and remained at this level for 4 months. Case 2 was a 61-year-old man who visited our hospital with gross hematuria. Transurethral bladder biopsy and transrectal prostate biopsy were performed. The diagnosis was moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma of the prostate that invaded to the bladder. Computed tomography (CT) showed a lymph node metastasis. He was treated with LH-RHa and BCL. The treatment was changed to EMP after PSA failure. EMP was withdrawn when PSA was 30 ng/ml. Then PSA decreased to less than 0.2 ng/ml (99% decline) and remained at this level for 9 months. We consider that in patients with EMP-resistant progression, EMP withdrawal syndrome should be checked.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Showa General Hospital
authors.forename: Shuichiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Tetsuro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tsukamoto
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tohsaka
authors.forename: Tsuguhiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tohma
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy; D000368:Aged; D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004961:Estramustine / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome
chemical_list: D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal; D004961:Estramustine