Buserelin-depot in the treatment of prostate cancer

Abstract

The high incidence of prostate cancer (PC) and the considerably wide use of hormone therapy for its treatment as an individual modality for its advanced forms (Т3–Т4, N1, M1), recurrences, and progression after local treatments (radical prostatectomy, radiation therapy) and for combined treatment as neoadjuvant and adjuvant therapies determine the importance of a sufficient range of hormonal drugs at an urologic oncologist’s disposal. Among the luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) agonists, there is rather long-known Buserelin made in Russia, the clinical efficacy of which is highly competitive with foreign analogs. The paper presents the results of a 3-month trial of the efficiency and safety of Buserelin depot treatment in 20 patients aged 53 to 87 years with morphologically verified PC. The patients with PC showed a gradual decrease in the mean values of prostate-specific antigen (PCA) from 81.2 to 27.8 and 23.0 ng / ml at 2 and 3 months of Buserelin depot therapy, respectively. The performed therapy could achieve reductions in testosterone levels from 168 ng / dl at baseline to 21 and 19.8 ng / dl postcastration at 1 and 3 months of the therapy. All the patients tolerated Buserelin depot therapy without having clinically significant adverse reactions. The most common complaints were hyperhidrosis and hot flushes, which are typical of all LHRH agonists and which are not marked in the treatment with other drugs of this group. Conclusion. Buserelin depot 3.75 mg is a highly effective Russian drug to treat hormone-dependent PC. Its administration causes a reduction in PSA levels and ensures a steady decline in serum testosterone concentrations to the postcastration level without causing serious side effects. The findings do not differ from those when foreign LHRH analogues are used.