Hormonal Therapy for Advanced Prostate Cancer
Authors: David J. Vaughn
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2000)

Editorials4 April 2000Hormonal Therapy for Advanced Prostate CancerDavid J. Vaughn, MDDavid J. Vaughn, MDUniversity of Pennsylvania Cancer Center; Philadelphia, PA 19104 (Vaughn)Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-132-7-200004040-00011 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail Decades ago, Nobel Laureate Charles Huggins demonstrated that the growth dependence of normal canine prostate on hormones had significant therapeutic implications for men with prostate cancer (1). Since then, androgen ablation therapy has provided effective palliation for patients with advanced disease. Synthesis of testosterone is regulated by the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis. Testosterone is intracellularly converted to dihydrotestosterone, which binds to the cytoplasmic androgen receptor of the prostate cancer cell. The hormone-receptor complex binds to nuclear DNA, stimulating protein synthesis. The adrenal glands also produce androgens, which contribute to intraprostatic dihydrotestosterone.Androgen ablation may be achieved surgically (with bilateral orchiectomy) or pharmacologically, ...References1. Huggins C, Hodges CV. Studies on prostatic cancer. 1. The effect of castration, of estrogen and of androgen injection on serum phosphatases in metastatic carcinoma of the prostate. Cancer Res. 1941;1:293-7. Google Scholar2. Seidenfeld J, Samson DJ, Hasselblad V, Aronson N, Albertsen PC, Bennett CL, et al . Single-therapy androgen suppression in men with advanced prostate cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Ann Intern Med. 2000;132:566-77. LinkGoogle Scholar3. Cassileth BR, Soloway MS, Vogelzang NJ, Schellhammer PS, Seidmon EJ, Hait HI, et al . Patients' choice of treatment in stage D prostate cancer. Urology. 1989;33 5 Suppl 57-62. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. 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Effects of intermittent androgen suppression on androgen-dependent tumors. Apoptosis and serum prostate-specific antigen. Cancer. 1993;71:2782-90. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar13. Goldenberg SL, Bruchovsky N, Gleave ME, Sullivan LD, Akakura K. Intermittent androgen suppression in the treatment of prostate cancer: a preliminary report. Urology. 1995;45:839-44. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar14. Greenlee RT, Murray T, Bolden S, Wingo PA. Cancer statistics, 2000. CA Cancer J Clin. 2000;50:7-33. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: University of Pennsylvania Cancer Center; Philadelphia, PA 19104 (Vaughn)Corresponding Author: David J. Vaughn, MD, University of Pennsylvania Cancer Center, 16 Penn Tower, 3400 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104; e-mail, [email protected]med.upenn.edu. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoSingle-Therapy Androgen Suppression in Men with Advanced Prostate Cancer Jerome Seidenfeld , David J. Samson , Vic Hasselblad , Naomi Aronson , Peter C. Albertsen , Charles L. Bennett , and Timothy J. Wilt Metrics Cited byAn image analysis approach for automatic malignancy determination of prostate pathological imagesLiminality as biographical disruption: unclassifiability following hormonal therapy for advanced prostate cancerAdvanced prostate cancer patients’ relationships with their spouses following hormonal therapyHormonal therapy in advanced prostate cancer examined 4 April 2000Volume 132, Issue 7Page: 584-585KeywordsAndrogensCancer treatmentHormonal therapyLuteinizing hormone releasing hormoneOrchiectomyProstate cancerQuality of lifeRadical prostatectomyRandomized trialsTestosterone Issue Published: 4 April 2000 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2000 by American College of Physicians. 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