A Better Way to Deliver Hormonal Therapy for Prostate Cancer?

In patients with locally advanced prostate cancer undergoing radiotherapy with curative intent, compelling evidence suggests a survival benefit from the addition of hormonal therapy for 2−3 years. Luteinizing hormone–releasing hormone (LHRH) agonists, the most commonly used methods of androgen-deprivation therapy, typically result in hot flashes, bone loss, and metabolic changes as a consequence reduced estrogen levels. Transdermal estradiol (tE2) suppresses testosterone via a different mechanism, preserving estrogen and potentially avoiding these harms without the thromboembolic risks of oral estrogen.

In a phase 3, noninferiority, randomized study, researchers compared tE2 patches and subcutaneous injections of LHRH agonists in 1400…