The Early Prostate Cancer program: bicalutamide in nonmetastatic prostate cancer

The Early Prostate Cancer program is investigating the addition of bicalutamide 150 mg to standard care for localized or locally advanced, nonmetastatic prostate cancer. The third program analysis, at 7.4 years' median follow-up, has shown that bicalutamide 150 mg does not benefit patients with localized disease, but does confer significant progression-free survival benefits in patients with locally advanced disease, irrespective of standard care received. In patients receiving radiotherapy for locally advanced disease, bicalutamide 150 mg significantly reduced the risk of death by 35%; the magnitude of this benefit compares favorably with that of adjuvant luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonist therapy in a similar population. Bicalutamide 150 mg represents an alternative to castration for patients with locally advanced disease who wish to avoid the side effects associated with castration.