Intermittent androgen deprivation therapy: redefining the standard of care?

As a clinical strategy, intermittent androgen deprivation therapy (IADT) has the potential to minimize adverse events associated with continuous androgen deprivation therapy while providing comparable efficacy for patients with advanced prostate cancer. Because most studies supporting IADT to date have been somewhat small and underpowered, additional large, randomized, controlled trials are needed before this strategy becomes the standard of care. However, the potential advantages of IADT, which include improved quality of life, the theoretical possibility of delaying hormone resistance, and possible reduction in expenses to the patient and health care payers, suggest it is a strategy worth further exploration.