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Immediate hormone therapy for prostate cancer is better than delayed: study


September 7, 2016


An international research team found that men with recurrent prostate cancer who received hormone treatment immediately had improved survival compared to those who delayed treatment. For many years doctors have puzzled over the best time to start a hormone therapy called androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT), in patients with rising Prostate specific Antigen (PSA) levels but no cancer symptoms. The Ottawa Hospital was a lead recruitment centre in an international study designed to answer this question. The randomized, controlled trial included 293 patients with either PSA-relapsed or non-curable prostate cancer and was recently published in The Lancet Oncology, with Dr. Shawn Malone as a co-author. Results show that five-year survival for men receiving ADT immediately (within eight weeks) was 91 percent compared to 86 percent for those who received treatment after progression. Early treatment was well tolerated and also helped to reduce the risk of complications from prostate cancer.

Authors: Gillian M Duchesne, Henry H Woo, Julie K Bassett, Steven J Bowe, Catherine D'Este, Mark Frydenberg, Madeleine King, Leo Ledwich, Prof Andrew Loblaw, Shawn Malone, Jeremy Millar, Roger Milne, Rosemary G Smith, Prof Nigel Spry, Martin Stockler, Rodney A Syme, Keen Hun Tai, Sandra Turner.

Funders: Australian National Health and Medical Research Council and Cancer Councils, The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists, Mayne Pharma Australia.

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Amelia Buchanan
Senior Communication Specialist
Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
Office: 613-798-5555 x 73687
Cell: 613-297-8315
ambuchanan@ohri.ca