Over one-third of patients (38.4%) also received continued treatment with bicalutamide (MAB). All men were treated with a

3-month depot GnRH agonist for at least 1 year and had at least three serum T levels measured.21 All patients received bicalutamide, 50 mg, daily for 2 weeks prior to initiating GnRH agonist treatment. 21 Of the 73 evaluated, daily bicalutamide was maintained in 28 men throughout the course of ADT. In the subset of daily bicalutamide patients, the mean follow-up was 54 months Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical (range, 13–240 months). Overall, 32% and 25% of men had T levels between 20 and 50 ng/dL and > 50 ng/dL, respectively.21 The endpoint was development of AIP, defined as three consecutive rising PSA levels. During a followup period (a mean follow-up of 51 months; range, 12–240 months), androgen-independent progression (AIP) events were identified and correlated with breakthrough

T increases of 50 ng/dL (classic level) and 20 ng/dL (surgical castration level). The lowest serum T threshold that was able to significantly distinguish groups related with survival free of AIP was Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical 32 ng/dL.21 A univariate analysis was performed to determine if age, initial clinical stage, biopsy Gleason score, administration of MAB, initial PSA, and T break- through > 50 ng/mL predicted the survival Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical free of AIP (Table 1).21 Table 1 Univariate Analysis Relating Dichotomic Variables Included in the Study and Survival Free of Androgen-Independent Progression Survival free of AIP was compared for three groups: Group 1, all T levels < 20 ng/dL; Group 2, any T between 20 and 50 ng/dL; and Group Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical 3, any T > 50 ng/dL. The mean time to develop AIP

for Groups 1, 2, and 3 was 106 months, 90 months, and 72 months, respectively. 21 The Kaplan-Meier plots showing survival free of AIP for the three groups (Figure 2) confirms that the level of serum T suppression Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical is a predictor of survival free of AIP. The mean survival free of AIP in patients with breakthrough increases greater than 32 ng/dL was 88 months, whereas it was 137 months in those without breakthrough increases. According to Morote and colleagues, these results those show that a routine measurement of serum T should become part of clinical practice when evaluating the effects of hormonal therapy. A reasonable option to detect these breakthrough increases would be to monitor T levels at PSA determination. Figure 2 Survival free of androgen-independent progression (AIP) according to serum selleckchem testosterone behavior. Group 1, patients with all three serum testosterone determinations less than < 20 ng/dL. Group 2, patients with breakthrough increases between 20 … In order to confirm findings of the study by Morote and colleagues, 21 a prospective, randomized, and carefully designed trial to assess clinical progression and mortality as primary endpoints would be required to reassess T cutoff level, as the clinical benefits of maintaining T levels < 20 ng/dL versus < 50 ng/dL have not been prospectively studied.