Combined radiation therapy and androgen deprivation in the management of prostate cancer: Where do we stand?

Radiotherapy and androgen deprivation therapy play a major role in the management of prostate cancer. Indeed, radiotherapy and hormone therapy are combined in a neoadjuvant and concomitant setting for intermediate risk cancers but also in an adjuvant setting in high risk or locally advanced prostate cancer. The benefice of this association was suggested by preclinical studies and demonstrated later by several randomized trials. However, as these trials were conducted before the era of dose escalation the role of androgen deprivation therapy in this case is less clear. Moreover, as hormonal therapy can lead to a significant morbidity and a decrement in quality of life its indications must be carefully weighed especially in case of intermediate risk cancer witch represent a heterogeneous group with distinct prognostic subgroups. (C) 2016 Societe francaise de radiotherapie oncologique (SFRO). Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.