LONDON, – Treatment with a combination of radiation and inhibitors reduce the risk of death in men with prostate cancer. Thus expressed researchers from Scandinavia, local time Wednesday.
In the United States, this combination represents the standard treatment since the 1990s. However, in Europe, many doctors avoid this combo treatment, and only use the drug because it considers the use of hormones might endanger the patient simultaneously.
“What was shown of this research is that the men with prostate cancer really significant change with such aggressive therapy,” said Dr. Howard Sandler of the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.
Approximately 875 men from various countries, such as Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish, with advanced prostate cancer has been investigated Scandinavian scientists. Half of the men was given a hormone inhibitor, while the rest get the same drug plus radiation. These drugs block the function of testosterone production that tends to feed the cancer cells.
After almost nine years, 79 men who only use this hormone drug died of prostate cancer, 37 other men who use it safely combo treatment.
“Not enough just using hormone drugs for these patients. To get a dramatic increase in repairs, you must use radiation. It’s become the new standard,” said Anders Widmark of Umea University in Sweden
But of course these medications have side effects. After five years, male hormones and radiation medicine recipients reported experiencing fatigue, insomnia, and sexual problems. Therefore, although the combination treatment is recommended in the U.S., Sandler said that the treatment does not apply to individual patients. Those who want to be treated with this combo medication should consult a physician.
“Combined hormone and radiotherapy should now be able to be applied universally to all patients,” said Chris Parker of the Institute of Cancer Research in Surrey, England.
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