Some Comments on the Long‐term Results of Endocrine Treatment of Prostatic Cancer1

SUMMARY Prostatic cancer patients may be divided into three groups. which differ in their response to endocrine treatment. These differences in response may be due to changes in the host or in the tumour cells. A temporary state of tumour retardation or latency follows endocrine treatment—generally anti‐androgenic—in about 70 to 80 per cent. of all cases of prostatic cancer, but whatever form of treatment is used about 75 per cent. of all cases die within three years. Even in tumours which show a marked response, endocrine treatment does not destroy all tumour cells. Hormone sensitivity therefore is not a property of the tumour as a whole but may vary from part to part of the same tumour . The original concept of anti‐androgenic treatment does not altogether explain the observed facts. It is possible that endocrine treatment controls only the residual normal element in prostatic cancer cells.