Biochemical response to testicular androgen ablation among patients with prostate cancer for whom flutamide and/or finasteride therapy failed

Objectives. To evaluate the response of testicular androgen ablation in patients with advanced prostate cancer with a biochemical recurrence after finasteride or combined finasteride and flutamide therapy. Methods. Eighteen hormone naive men with advanced prostate cancer (10 with detectable prostate-specific antigen [PSA] levels after radical prostatectomy, 4 with rising PSA levels after definitive radiation therapy, and 4 with Stage D2 disease) were treated with finasteride (5 mg/day) alone or in combination with flutamide (250 mg three times a day). All men experienced an initial reduction in serum PSA, but later had treatment failure with two consecutive rising PSA measurements. All men were then treated with testicular androgen ablation (bilateral orchiectomy in 15 and luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone analogue in 3). Results. Overall, serum PSA declined by more than 80% in 15 (83%) of 18 and to undetectable levels in 14 (78%) of 18. With a median +/- semi-interquartile range follow-up of 22 +/- 14.5 months from the initiation of hormone therapy, 12 (67%) of 18 currently have undetectable PSA levels. Two men having rising serum PSA levels above 100 ng/mL and 1 man has died from complications of metastatic prostate cancer. Conclusions. Testicular androgen ablation effectively lowers serum PSA levels in most men with advanced prostate cancer who have experienced a biochemical recurrence despite initial response and subsequent relapse on finasteride or combined finasteride and flutamide therapy. (C) 1998, Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.