At the moment, the hormone therapy treatment used for prostate cancer sufferers is carried out over a period of three years because this particular type of cancer has a very slow progression. There is a high rate of success in treating prostate cancer following an early diagnosis and treatment in the early stages.
However, there are quite serious side effects for patients to contend with, such as weakening of the bones and muscles, tiredness, loss of libido and hot flushes. To test if a shorter period of treatment could reduce the risk of side effects, researchers in Quebec embarked on a study involved 630 patients from 10 hospitals, all of whom had high-risk but located prostate cancer. All received radiation and hormone therapy treatment and some were treated over the typical 36 months and some over 18 months.
When followed up after six and a half years, 77.1% of men who had undergone the 3-year period of treatment were still living while 76.1% of those whose treatment had been done in 18 months were also still alive.
The research team concluded that with little statistical difference between the two groups there is a case to be made for treating prostate cancer sufferers over 18 months to eliminate the risk of dangerous side effects from the hormone treatment.
More research is, however, required to examine if there are any differences in the quality of life for those treated over a shorter or longer time.
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer affecting men with around 112 men diagnosed with the cancer every day in the UK. Survival rates for those diagnosed with the disease have consistently risen over the last 30 years.