Words of wisdom. Re: Does oral antiandrogen use before leuteinizing hormone-releasing therapy in patients with metastatic prostate cancer prevent clinical consequences of a testosterone flare? Oh WK, Landrum MB, Lamont EB, et al. Urology 2010;75:642-7.

Oh et al report their experience with 1566 metastatic prostate cancer patients treated with luteinising hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) agonists in the area of Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Of these patients, 79.5% were given antiandrogens (bicalutamide, flutamide, or nilutamide) before the first LHRH agonist dose. The remaining patients (20.5%) did not receive antiandrogens. In all patients, complications appearing within 30 d and attributable to a flare phenomenon (fractures, spinal cord compression, bladder outlet obstruction, exacerbation of pain) were assessed retrospectively. Such complications were extremely rare (<1%) in both groups. There was no difference whether or not antiandrogens were administered. The timing of antiandrogen prescription(0-6 vs > or =7 d before starting the LHRH analogues) made no difference.The authors concluded that no evidence supports a generalised use of antiandrogens in addition to the LHRH agonists. The risks of antiandrogen therapy (hepatic,gastrointestinal, ocular, and pulmonary complications)may counterbalance the benefits of the combined therapy,which is much more expensive.