Androgen ablative therapy was introduced in the early 1940s and, even today, has remained the golden standard for the treatment of advanced prostate cancer. During the past decades, a variety of improvements have been achieved which, however, primarily aimed at a better tolerance or improved acceptance of androgen deprivation. However, after almost six decades of hormonal therapy it is appropriate to ask whether progress was also made in terms of efficacy, particularly as far as prolongation of survival or quality of life is concerned. During the last few years, two therapeutic strategies, maximal androgen blockade and intermittent androgen suppression, have been considered true conceptual advances. However, despite tremendous efforts and a huge number of studies so far, these concepts appear to produce more questions rather than answers. Therefore, it seems appropriate to raise some critical issues of maximal androgen blockade and intermittent androgen suppression.

Keywords:
New concepts of hormonal therapy, Maximal androgen blockade, Intermittent androgen suppression
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© 1999 S. Karger AG, Basel
1999
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