The history of endocrine therapy of benign and malignant diseases of the prostate

The discovery of endocrine therapy of diseases of the prostate can be regar ded as one of the most important events in the history of medicine and in u rology in particular. This article delivers an overview about scientists an d clinicians involved in this work during the last 200 years. A close histo rical relation between the endocrine therapy of benign prostatic hyperplasi a and prostate cancer can be recognized. The historical framework between t he work of John Hunter in the late eighteenth century, that of Charles Bren ton Huggins in the late 1930s, and that of Andrew Schally in the 1970s has been assembled herein. With respect to all the other men who contributed gr eatly to this medical achievement, e.g., Edward L. Keyes and Russell S. Fer guson, with their first report on radioorchiectomy for the treatment of met astatic prostate cancer in 1936, this historical vignette is intended to ma ke them part of the historical record.