Urethral obstruction secondary to carcinoma of prostate: response to endocrine treatment.

Of 749 patients with carcinoma of the prostate 133 (17.8%) presented with total urinary retention; 122 of the 133 patients were given different forms of endocrine therapy. Only 8 patients were treated by initial transurethral resection of the prostate, and 3 patients received no treatment. After endocrine therapy 80 (65.6%) of 122 patients were free from catheter six months after starting treatment. The response to orchidectomy appeared earlier than that to treatment with estrogens. The mean period of catheterization for the 80 patients who responded was 2.7 months after orchidectomy and 3.4 months during estrogen treatment. The difference was statistically significant (p less than 0.05).