Endocrine
therapy for urological
tumor includes
estrogen therapy for prostatic
carcinoma. This endocrine
therapy is one of the most firmly established therapeutic methods in the field of clinical oncology. However,
confusion exists about how long this treatment remains effective and whether it prolongs survival, since
estrogen can create cardiovascular complications in patients with prostatic
carcinoma. Recently, new endocrine agents have been developed to compensate for the problems of
estrogen therapy and to make treatment more effective.
Estramustine sodium phosphate is medicine for internal use prepared by combining
estradiol with
nitrogen mustard. This hormonal chemotherapeutic agent has proved effective in 98% of treated patients. Most of the side effects of this agent have been observed in the digestive organs.
Chlormadinone acetate, a
progestational agent, has proved more effective against early prostatic
carcinoma than against late-stage disease.
LHRH analogue, which is now drawing much attention as a "chemical
castration" agent for
prostatic cancer patients, exerts an effectiveness equal to medium-dose
estrogen treatment. The above three agents for the treatment of prostatic
carcinoma should become increasingly popular in the future.