Early versus deferred hormonal treatment for asymptomatic prostate cancer.

There are two different clinical scenarios in which a decision on hormonal therapy either initially after diagnosis of deferred until the occurrence of signs and symptoms for presently asymptomatic prostate cancer is needed: A more recently described cohort of men with prostate cancer who underwent definitive therapy for putatively curable disease experiencing a rising PSA (biochemical relapse / progression), and a more classical group of men with prostate cancer who were unwilling or unfit to undergo local therapy with curative intent. Long-term hormonal treatment will expose patients to the risk of substantial adverse side effects such as muscle wasting, chronic fatigue, osteoporosis and others, in addition to an overall increase in treatment costs. On the other hand, a potential prolongation of survival and a delay in the development of clinical symptoms may serve as arguments for early treatment. A number of studies have been conducted in which early hormonal treatment delays the time to progression and reduces the cancer-related complication rate such as urinary obstruction and bone fractures. However, results on overall survival remain inconclusive and quality-of-life issues will become more and more important in light of the extended life span of patients with asymptomatic prostate cancer in recent years. Ongoing clinical trials such as EORTC 30991 are needed to provide further information on this important issue.