EVALUATION OF THE LONG-TERM EFFECT OF ANTI-ANDROGEN THERAPY BY SONOMETRICS IN PATIENTS WITH BENIGN PROSTATIC HYPERTROPHY

Abstract

Among 138 patients with benign prostatic hypertrophy entered into anti-androgen therapy until 1985, 52 patients underwent transrectal ultrasonotomography before and during the treatment more than three times. In these 52 cases, the long-term effect of the anti-androgen therapy was evaluated, based on the changes in prostatic weights measured by sonometrics.
As a rule, anti-androgenic agent; chlormadinone acetate was administered 50mg daily, but in 28 cases, the dose was reduced to 25mg daily after satisfactory decrease in prostatic weight was achieved.
Prostatic weight in the 52 cases was 31.8±14.1g (mean±S. D.) before treatment, decreased to 21.3±11.2g after four month administration, and remained unchanged (20.6±12.7g) in the last ultrasonic examination (after 25-month administration). A similar result was obtained for the 28 cases treated with 25 mg of chlormadinone acetate after satisfactory decrease in prostatic weight. Prostatic weight in the 28 cases was 29.9±8.1g before treatment, decreased to 18.2±5.9g in the first ultrasonic examination, and remained unchanged (18.0±7.0g) in the last ultrasonic examination.
Nine cases showed transient reduction of more than 30% in prostatic weight and then reenlargement of more than 30%, eight of these were those treated with 25 mg of chlormadinone acetate after satisfactory decrease in prostatic weight.
Among 86 cases treated with the anti-androgenic agent in the same period, seven cases were operated and eight cases dropped out before the third ultrasonic examination. Though these fifteen cases possibly biased the cases followed up, prostatic adenoma seems not to obtain resistance against anti-androgen therapy during the mean follow-up period of 25-month.