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Persistent blockade of the pituitary‐gonadal axis in patients with prostatic carcinoma during chronic administration of D‐Trp‐6‐LH‐RH
Author(s) -
GonzalezBarcena David,
PerezSanchez Patricia,
BereaDominguez Hector,
GraefSanchez Alicia,
BecerrilMorales Margarita,
ComaruSchally Ana Maria,
Schally Andrew V.
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
the prostate
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.295
H-Index - 123
eISSN - 1097-0045
pISSN - 0270-4137
DOI - 10.1002/pros.2990090211
Subject(s) - medicine , blockade , endocrinology , carcinoma , prostate , receptor , cancer
Forty patients with stage D 2 prostatic carcinoma were treated for up to 30 months with D‐Trp‐6‐LH‐RH. The analog was given s.c. once daily at a dose of 1 mg/day for the first 7 days. Subsequently, the dose was reduced to 100 μg/day. In follow‐up studies, 30 men continued this therapy for up to 24 months. Blood samples were taken before the injection of the analog and 1,2,4, and 6 hours later. Serum LH, FSH, and testosterone levels were measured by RIA every month for 2 years. The initial administration of 1 mg D‐Trp‐6‐LH‐RH caused a marked elevation of LH and FSH, which lasted more than 24 hours. However, 1 month later and throughout the therapy, the basal values of LH and FSH were below the normal range and no increase in serum gonadotropins levels was obtained after administration of the analog. Initial plasma testosterone was within normal limits, but during treatment with D‐Trp‐6‐LH‐RH it fell to castration levels, and no increases were seen during the 6 hours following the injection of the analog. These results show that chronic administration of D‐Trp‐6‐LH‐RH, at the doses used, blocks the pituitary‐gonadal axis and that the escape phenomenon from the effects of the LH‐RH agonists‐induced blockade does not occur under our conditions in contrast to observations of Kerle et al with the I.C.I. Analog 118630 (8). The accumulated results reinforce the view that long‐term therapy with agonists of LH‐RH is the preferred alternative to surgical castration or therapy with estrogens in men with metastatic prostate cancer.