We are interested in the therapeutic response to chemotherapy and radiotherapy of relapsed prostate cancer. In 9 cases of prostate cancer treated by endocrine therapy, tumor markers (PAP·PA·γ-Sm·Leu-7) and cell types at the start of endocrine therapy and that taken at a hormone independent point were compared between prostatic tissue obtained.
All cases had a period of response to endocrine therapy, but subsequently relapsed. The results were divided into the following 3 groups:
Group I (changed cell type·decreased positive rate of markers) had the shortest response duration to endocrine therapy and there was no response to chemotherapy; Group II (unchanged cell type·decreased positive rate of markers) had a long response duration and slow progression under endocrine therapy; Group III (unchanged cell type·unchanged positive rate of markers) was chemo- or radiotherapy sensitive during post-endocrine therapy relapse.
These results suggest that this is an effective method which dictated the choice of treatment method and allowed an approximate prognosis for relapsed prostate cancer previously treated by endocrine therapy.