The Role of Hormonal Therapy in the Treatment of Locally Advanced Prostate Cancer—Regional Perspectives: USA

Current thinking suggests that the first assessment of an individual patient’s risk of disease progression is important when choosing a treatment regimen in prostate cancer. Biochemical markers, such as PSA, and tumour characteristics, such as T-stage and Gleason score, have proved to be reliable predictors of disease progression. Earlier detection and diagnosis of prostate cancer in recent years have increased the numbers of patients seen with low-risk disease, and for the high-risk patient there are many and varied treatment options. Multimodal therapy, with a combination of agents (hormonal therapy, radiation or chemotherapy), many of which are still under investigation, is of considerable interest and seems to offer survival advantages in many patients.