Current Status of Estrogen Therapy for Prostatic Carcinoma

Abstract

Studies reevaluating the effects of estrogen in treating prostatic carcinoma have shown that while estrogen usually increases the duration and quality of survival, it appears to be associated with an increase in fatal and nonfatal thromboembolic complications. Findings also show that 1.0 mg of diethylstilbestrol daily is probably as effective against metastatic cancer of the prostate as 5.0 mg, and is associated with a lower incidence of cardiovascular complications.