Australian researchers believe they’ve hit on the optimum duration of hormone-suppression therapy for men with aggressive, localised prostate cancers after a 10-year trial.

The findings from the RADAR study — which followed more than 1000 Australian men with advanced prostate cancer — show that 18 months of androgen suppression, coupled with moderate radiation dose escalation, is both tolerable and effective.

Men enrolled in the trial between 2003 and 2007 had Gleason scores higher than seven and baseline PSA concentrations of 10μg/L or higher.

All participants received six months of testosterone-suppression therapy using leuprorelin, followed by radiotherapy.