Urologie pro praxi 1/2008

THE COST OF HORMONAL THERAPY FOR PROSTATE CANCER – PHARMACOECONOMIC ASPECTS OF TREATMENT INDICATIONS

Hormonal therapy for prostate cancer (CaP) is among the primary therapeutic modalities. Since indication principles have been well established, the only issues which remain controversial are the initiation of therapy and the type of therapy, i. e., early versus delayed and continuous versus intermittent. To date, no modality has been shown to have superior features supported by EBM (evidence based medicine). In addition to these medical drawbacks, one cannot ignore the high cost of the therapy resulting from both the price of medications and their long-term use. This is an issue addressed even in economically strong countries.

Keywords: prostate cancer, hormonal therapy, economy.