This book devotes three chapters to the treatment of prostatic cancer, the
most common tumor in men, and presents the three points of view for treatment
of this complex issue. For localized disease, it has long been debated
whether surgery or radiation is the best treatment. There are two good treatments,
and the chapters outline which treatment may be suitable for the
individual. For advanced disease, androgen deprivation has stood the test of
time, and refinement of depriving prostate cancer of its growth factor, androgens,
has been a major advance, though not curative. Recent research in
advanced prostate cancer appears promising and will focus on non-hormonal
factors such as gene therapy, prolongation of androgen sensitivity, and molecular
triggers to induce apoptosis.