Stilboestrol in the Treatment of Carcinoma of the Prostate

Abstract

Owing to the difficulties connected with the early diagnosis of car--cinoma of the prostate, the majority of cases are too far advanced for radical surgery, when they arrive for institutional treatment.According to earlier statistics (YOUNG) only 10 % of the patients with carcinoma of the prostate gland were operable when admitted to hospital. Therefore, palliative therapy is usually the only possible procedure. Hormone therapy, in the form of castration or administration of oestrogenic hormones, appears to have made life more endurable for these patients and it probably also contributes to prolonging their lifetime. DiagnosisSome disagreement still exists as to the incidence of prostatic car--cinoma. According to autopsy materials (ROMANUS) it would appear to be a very common lesion, malignant changes of the prostate having been found in up to 30 % of men above 40-50 years of age. Clinicians, on the other hand, report a lower incidence. YOUNG reports carcinoma of the prostate in about 20 % of patients exhibiting symptoms of pro-.static hypertrophy. It is beyond doubt that numerous cases remain unrecognized as malignancy, following a course without particularly marked symptoms, characterized mainly by moderate urinary obstruction and pain suggesting rheumatism over the loins and hips.In addition to rectal examination which is not very reliable in the early stages because the changes in the prostate are still slight, biopsy affords a diagnostic possibility. Even the latter method has not given particularly brilliant results. The safest procedure is perineal biopsy