The effect of some stilboestrol compounds on DNA polymerase from human prostatic tissue

Hormonal therapy for advanced prostatic carcinoma

Since the work of Huggins and Hodges, hormonal therapy, i.e., orchiectomy or estrogens, has been the gold standard of treatment for patients with advanced adenocarcinoma of the prostate. Recently, many new drugs have been introduced in the hope of achieving a beneficial response as compared with hormonal therapy, while avoiding some of the adverse effects. Various newer agents are reviewed. It appears that while these agents may be attractive secondary to specific effects, they do not appear to offer any survival advantage over diethylstilbestrol or orchiectomy. Finally, the theory of total androgen blockade is reviewed. Institution of total blockade does not appear to offer a survival advantage over standard androgen blockade.

Endocrine treatment of prostatic cancer

Data are drawn from the pertinent literature supporting diethylstilbestrol for initial endocrine treatment of advanced prostatic cancer. When diethylstilbestrol is given in a dosage of 2 mg daily, the risk of cardiovascular complications is low. Bilateral orchiectomy is reserved for high-risk patients or those intolerant of estrogen. To prevent possible complications of uncontrolled tumor growth and perhaps to increase survival time, endocrine treatment of advanced prostatic cancer should be started early.

Steroid receptor content in human prostatic carcinoma and response to endocrine therapy

Biopsy material from primary prostatic carcinoma from 25 patients was analyzed with regard to cytosol content of methyltrienolone (a synthetic androgen) binding sites and the receptor content has been correlated to the clinical response to endocrine therapy. A dextran-coated charcoal technique was used and binding data were calculated from Scatchard plots. In 20 of the tumors detectable levels of methyltrienolone receptor were noted. One of the receptor-positive patients died during radiation therapy before onset of hormonal treatment, and a second patient, who had a highly differentiated carcinoma, so far has not received any endocrine therapy. Of the remaining 18 patients 15 responded well to castration, treatment with estrogens, or Estracyt (approximately 80%). The biopsies from two of the three receptor-positive non-responders contained the lowest measurable receptor levels. Five specimens lacked detectable amounts of methyltrienolone receptor. Four of these patients did not respond to therapy (approximately 80%), but one was "false" negative. Our data indicate that steroid receptor analysis may become an important tool in predicting the value of endocrine therapy in human prostatic carcinoma.