Androgen Ablation Therapy and Prostate Cancer: An Update

Abstract

It is now generally accepted that prostate cancer is the leading form of cancer in men. Current evidence indicates that countries including America and West Africa have more cases of aggressive progressive prostate cancer. Many treatment strategies have been used in management of prostate cancer. Since the discovery of androgen deprivation protocol seventy years ago, more treatment strategies have been reported which added more values to treatment outcome. However, death from this disease is due to resistance to androgen ablation therapy (AAT). Until recently, treatment of patients with disseminated prostate cancer was based on modalities that reduce AR signalling, either by direct androgen depletion (castration, e.g., surgical orchiectomy, luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonists), by blockage of the androgen receptor (AR) (e.g., flutamide, bicalutamide), or by combinations. In literature there is wide range of reports on diverse treatment strategies for prostate cancer; this often lead to serious confusion among clinicians and scientists, especially those new to the field. This study reviewed all the current available treatment strategies for androgen ablation therapy in management of hormone sensitive progressive prostate cancer, and highlights the merits and challenges involved in each of the treatments options. Thus, providing a summary of wide range of available literature on hormone management of prostate cancer and brings the scientists and clinicians to a focus using the best available evidence-based approach.