(July 8, 2008 - Insidermedicine) A therapy that deprives the prostate of male hormones is no better than a wait-and-see approach for older men with early stage prostate cancer, according to research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Here are some facts about prostate cancer:

•    It is the most common form of cancer, aside from skin cancers.

•    It is the second most common cause of death from cancer among men.

•    The vast majority of the time, prostate cancer is diagnosed in its early stages, when it is still localized in the prostate.

Researchers from the Cancer Institute of New Jersey, and Robert Wood Johnson Medical School compared the 10-year outcomes of nearly 20,000 men over the age of 66 with early stage, localized prostate cancer. About 40% received primary androgen deprivation therapy (PADT), in which the prostate is deprived of the male hormone androgen, which is believed to feed the cancer.

After 10 years, both groups of men had similar overall survival rates. A subgroup of men with more aggressive prostate cancer may have benefited somewhat from PADT as slightly fewer of these men died of prostate cancer. Still, even among these men, the overall survival rate was similar for those who did and did not receive PADT.

We had a chance to speak with Dr. Siu-Long Yao, one of the authors of this study, who offered us some further insight.

Today's research suggests that the benefits of PADT are not great enough to merit its cost and side effects. The treatment does not appear to improve overall rates of survival.

For Insidermedicine in Depth, I'm Dr. Susan Sharma.