Recently, there has been numerous study reports published that address the benefits of Hormone therapy combined with Radiation therapy in treating prostate cancer. This article wishes to provide readers some helpful updates with regards to the new standard treatment for prostate cancer.

In 1995 to 2005, a randomized study was jointly conducted by the National Cancer Institute of Canada, the United Kingdom Medical Research Council and the Southwest Oncology Group in the United States. 1,205 men with high risk prostate cancer in the United States, Canada and in United Kingdom were part of the study. These men were assigned with either receiving hormone therapy alone or a combined hormone therapy (with external beam radiation treatment). Follow ups were made among patients for an average of at least 6 years and findings from this study presents that adding radiation therapy significantly reduced the risk of death among the study group given with the combined therapy.

In another study report published by Bolla et al from an EORTC study in 1997 showed an increase in the probability of a progression-free and overall survival of European patients diagnosed with a locally advance prostate cancer high risk (T1-2 and T3-4NO-1MO) tumors. Patients who were given external beam radiation therapy plus an adjuvant hormonal therapy for three years showed an increase in survival rates compared to the patients who received external beam radiation therapy alone. Additional data from the American studies show similar results. According to this study, two to three years of hormone therapy combined with radiotherapy improves survival among patients but is accompanied by a number of adverse effects such as impotence, hot flashes and risk of acquiring heart attacks.

Horwitz et al reported a US study (RTOG 92-02) in 2008 that radiotherapy plus extended adjuvant hormone therapy for 28 months increased the probability of the disease-free survival and disease-specific survival rates among its study group. The group who received a combined therapy obtained a lower probability of a local progression of the prostate tumor and biochemical failure rates were also lowered. The combined therapy prevented further metastasis (spread) among its study group compared to the radiation therapy group. Overall the survival rates in this study showed an increase rates among patients with a pre-treatment Gleason score of 8-10 with no metastasis to the lymph node or the pelvis with a PSA level of 150 ng/ml and below.

Prostate cancer is believed to be caused by an exposure to the male hormones testosterone. An increase in the testosterone levels in the body stimulates prostate cancer cells to grow. Hormone therapy is given to patients diagnosed with prostate cancer as a means to decease the testosterone levels in the body, it is also referred as the Androgen Deprivation Therapy (in which production of male hormones are prevented). Radiation therapy is given to directly kill and destroy the cancer cells by using external beam radiation.

Numerous studies conclude that combination of hormone therapy plus radiation therapy promotes good survival rates. Hormone therapy helps by reducing tumor growth. It also potentiates killing of the cancer cells when combined with radiotherapy.

With the complex, modern lifestyle that men have to keep up with, it may not be surprising that a significant proportion of the male populace is beset by threatening and deadly diseases. Being constantly exposed to high stress conditions and the inability to be conscientious about their health, men tend to put their health and eventually their lives at risk. Diabetes, heart conditions, impotence and prostate cancer are some of the major diseases that men suffer from. The causes of such can be traced to an individual’s lifestyle and habits as well as his genetic predisposition. Of all the alarming diseases that beset men today, one that is often shrouded with misunderstanding is prostate cancer.

When prostate cancer strikes, it strikes the very core of how men define themselves. The prostate, being the key component in a man’s sexual ability and performance is one of the major glands that give men a solid perception of their manhood. Once afflicted with prostate cancer, it can be a tragic predicament as it could mean that a man may be stripped of his virility. To what can prostate cancer be attributed to? There is no singular factor to take into account although Black men have the greater likelihood to develop prostate cancer. Heredity as well is a suspected culprit in acquiring the disease.

Once there is a growth of abnormal and malignant cells in the tissues of the prostate gland, then that initiates the development of prostate cancer. Those cells can potentially spread all over and beyond the prostate as well. Prostate cancer has four stages of development. The first stage is when the cancer cells are yet confined within the prostate and has not spread beyond that area. It is best that prostate cancer be detected and treated in this initial stage for greater chances of remission. Stage II of this cancer is when the cancer is still within the prostate but continues to reproduce and advance.

Once prostate cancer is not hampered in this stage, it could degenerate into the third stage wherein the cancer cells have spread beyond the prostate and into the neighboring tissues. The final verdict of prostate cancer comes with the stage IV of this deadly disease. During stage IV, the cancer has metastasized and has spread all throughout the other parts of the body. Metastatic prostate cancer is extremely serious and drastic measures may have to be undertaken to combat the disease. It has well been said that prevention is the measure for any deadly disease, so men must therefore implement all the necessary measures to prevent the onset of prostate cancer and other threatening conditions.