[Circumstances of prescription of hormone therapy for patients with prostate cancer].
OBJECTIVE
Although screening has improved the diagnosis of prostate cancer, hormone therapy still plays an important role in its treatment. This article aims to evaluate the circumstances for the use of hormone therapy in 2007.


METHODS
Observational study, with no intervention, carried out between October 2006 and March 2007, on 208 urologists and radiotherapists. This study allowed for the analysis of the circumstances and reasons for the prescription of hormone therapy for four to eight consecutive patients.


RESULTS
The 1187 patients included had an average age of 73.5+/-8 years (median: 75 years). The cancer had been diagnosed for 1.1+/-2.3 years. The diagnosis had generally been made at localized stage, less often at local advanced stage (37.2%, n=442) or metastasis (15.4%, n=183). The prescription of GnRH analogues was principally motivated by a biological recurrence (22.2%, n=263), the presence of bone or visceral metastasis at time of diagnosis (22.1%, n=262) or a contraindication of local treatment at localized stage (16.6%). The decision to use hormone therapy was taken jointly by the doctor and the patient in 57% of cases. The majority of patients (92%) benefited from an injection every three months.


CONCLUSIONS
Hormone therapy by GnRH analogues remains established for cases of cancer metastasis or in cases of recurrence. This observation corroborates scientific recommendations regarding the use of GnRH analogues.
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Service d'urologie, CHU Mondor, 51, avenue du Maréchal-de-Lattre-de-Tassigny, 94000 Créteil, France. adelataille@hotmail.com
D000368:Aged; D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*
D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone