[Effectiveness of 5-fluorouracil combined with hormones in low dose as a basal treatment for prostatic carcinoma].

In the treatment of prostatic carcinoma, administration of some therapeutic agents, e.g. hormones, continuously as a basal treatment, and other proper treatment, e.g. irradiation or chemotherapy or both, were combined for occasional recurrence of the disease as additional treatment. Effectiveness of 5-fluorouracil in combination with hormones (estrogen or gestagen) in low doses, as a basal treatment, was compared with that of hormones alone in high doses. 5-Fluorouracil at 200 mg/day doses combined with gestagen (allylestrenol or chloromadinone acetate) at 50 mg/day doses was compared with estrogen (hexestrol) at 60 mg/day doses in 30 randomized patients with previously untreated prostatic carcinoma. On the other hand, 5-fluorouracil at 200 mg/day doses combined with hexestrol at 30 mg/day doses was compared with hexestrol at 60 mg/day doses also in 26 randomized patients with carcinoma already well controlled by hexestrol at 60 mg/day doses for more than two years. In patients of the former group treated with 5-fluorouracil and gestagen the rate of recurrence was 20%, mean effective period of therapy was 69 months and 5-year survival rate was 73%, although, in patients treated with high dose estrogen, the rate of recurrence was 60%, mean effective period was 43 months and 5-year survival rate was 55%. At occasional recurrence of the disease, in nearly half the patients in both groups, the disease responded to additional treatments and remission was obtained again. In patients of the latter group with already well controlled disease, no significant difference in prognosis was observed between patients treated with 5-fluorouracil plus low dose estrogen and those treated with high dose estrogen alone.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)