Medical castration with LHRH agonists: 25 years later with major benefits achieved on survival in prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer and the second cause of cancer death in men in North America (Jemal et al, 2003). In fact, one of eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during his lifetime. At such a rate, prostate cancer will kill more than 3 000 000 men among the male population presently living in the United States, whereas more than 200 000 men die annually worldwide from prostate cancer. The medical and social consequences of this disease are comparable to those of breast cancer in women. Prostate cancer is thus a major challenge in urgent need of significant improvement in diagnosis and treatment.