No abstract

Twenty two patients with advanced carcinoma of the prostate have been treated for up to 3 months with the slow-release (depot) formulation of the luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) agonist ICI 118630. Patients were randomized to receive one of three different doses of ICI 118630 of 0.9, 1.8 or 3.6 mg. The depot preparation was injected subcutaneously every 4 weeks. At the highest dose, the concentration of testosterone in serum was significantly reduced to castrate values after 2-3 weeks of therapy. The smaller doses of ICI 118630 (1.8 or 0.9 mg every 4 weeks) similarly reduced serum testosterone concentrations although, at the lowest dose, testosterone values were not suppressed in all patients during the first month. Hormonal changes were accompanied by subjective clinical improvement in symptomatic patients and there were no significant side effects. The data clearly demonstrate the considerable therapeutic potential of ICI 118630 in the depot formulation for the treatment of advanced carcinoma of the prostate.

To our knowledge this is the largest randomized trial performed in patients with pT1G3 disease for which 210 patients were recruited during 11 years. There is no evidence that radiotherapy is better than more conservative treatment. The prognosis of this group of patients appears to be poor irrespective of treatment and new treatment strategies need to be investigated.

A method of measuring residual urine volume using ultrasound is described. The volume is computed from serial parallel sections of the bladder. This method is found to be significantly more accurate than previously reported techniques and is quick and easy to perform.

With an almost 60% increased incidence during the last 3 decades, BC incidence remains much higher in men but has increased more rapidly in women. There have been steady decreases in mortality rates, more marked in men than in women. Unusually, women have a significantly lower survival rate than men. Reasons for these patterns and trends are unclear. The trends in bladder cancer incidence by birth cohort suggest that the relationship with smoking may not be that strong and that other factors may be involved. Further research should focus on reasons for the recent increase in bladder cancer incidence in younger female birth cohorts.