Surgical Removal of Testes and Flutamide

Posted by admin on January 27th, 2010 No Comments

Effect on Survival Rate of Metastatic Prostate Cancer Patients

A recent report concludes that treatment with the drug flutamide following surgical removal of the testes does not improve the chance of survival of metastatic prostate cancer patients.

* Note: the testes of male prostate cancer patients are often removed to reduce the tumor-stimulating effects of male hormones known as androgens; the anti-androgen drug flutamide has been used to block androgens produced by the adrenal glands.

* researchers at the Southwest Oncology Group, San Antonio, Texas, randomized 1,387 metastatic prostate cancer patients having their testes removed to receive either flutamide or a placebo to collect data.

* found that there was no significant difference in survival rates among the two groups, although blood levels of prostate specific antigen (PSA) fell in a greater number of patients who received the flutamide therapy.

* authors note that the findings also suggest that PSA levels may have no role as a market for survival in patients with metastatic prostate cancer.

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