Hormonal therapy options for biochemical recurrence of prostate cancer after local therapy.

Recurrence after local prostate cancer treatment detectable only by a rise in serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) is a very common problem facing clinicians. Given that the majority of these men are relatively young and otherwise healthy, treatment of PSA-only recurrence requires approaches that not only improve survival but also preserve quality of life. For radical prostatectomy patients, a PSA-only recurrence is broadly defined as persistent or rising PSA in the postoperative period. For radiation-treated patients, the 1997 American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology guidelines specify three consecutive elevations of PSA after the post-treatment nadir PSA is achieved. Traditional hormonal therapy is the mainstay of systemic treatment for PSA-only recurrence, although nontraditional approaches such as intermittent and oral-only hormonal therapy are under study.