INTERMITTENT ANDROGEN SUPPRESSION AS TREA TMENT FOR PATIENTS WITH PROSTATE-CANCER

The intermittent androgen suppression therapy aims at preserving the a ndrogen sensitivity of disseminated prostate cancer cells for an exten ded time compared to continuous androgen suppression, which results wi thin several years invariably in hormone-and chemoresistant tumors, wh ich are poorly amenable to further treatment. In our own study includi ng 60 patients (observation time 1 - 60 month) up to 4 cycles could be induced without any obvious negative effects and with improved qualit ity of live due to reduced androgen suppression therapy. In a subgroup of 6/60 patients one androgen suppression cycle induced long-term cli nical responses (treatment cessation for up to 50 month). The initiati on of larger and randomized clinical trials comparing intermittent ver sus continuous androgen suppression for specific subgroups of prostate cancer patients seems to be warranted, In addition to the improved qu ality of live under intermittent androgen suppression the potential ma in advantage may be the combination of this therapy with cytotoxic dru gs, before tumor cells loose their apoptotic potential and chemosensit ivity.