1. ¹The Institute of Hormone Research, Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
2. ²Department of Urology, Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
3. ³The Oncology and Molecular Endocrinology Research Center, Laval University Medical Center, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada

Correspondence: Dr B Chertin, Department of Urology, Shaare Zedek Medical Center, PoB 3235, Jerusalem 91031, Israel. E-mail: bchertin@yahoo.com

Received 17 December 2007; Accepted 14 February 2008; Published online 24 June 2008.

Abstract

We present a case report of a patient with prostate cancer who failed to demonstrate consistent testosterone suppression to castration levels and incomplete suppression of serum prostate-specific antigen, although treated with gonadotropin releasing hormone agonists for 48 months. Serum dehydroepiandrosterone , dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate, as well as the androgen metabolite, androsterone glucuronide, were elevated compared to the other patients. The present data suggest that those prostate cancer patients who have even marginally elevated adrenal androgens may especially benefit from combined androgen blockade.