Hormone therapy patch

It is called an Estradiol. You’ll find it in many pharmacies. You do need two patches changed twice a week. It requires more patches the very first time you use them from what I have heard. They cost a fraction of what it cost for any of the other treatments. You can also use an estrogen gel or an injection instead of the patch.

Here’s some information about the patch trial

The PATCH trial now stands in a similar pivotal position as Lupron in 1985 in the management of
metastatic prostate cancer by providing an equally effective option as Lupron for lowering
testosterone and treating disease. The PATCH trial results were reported in abstract form at the
2024 conference of the European Society for Medical Oncology by Dr. Langley, the principal
investigator. The PATCH (“Prostate Adenocarcinoma Transcutaneous Hormone”) study compared
the effectiveness of transdermal estradiol (tE2) to Lupron in 1360 men with newly diagnosed locally
advanced non-metastatic prostate cancer

At 3 years metastasis-free survival was the same for both agents ~86 to 87%. Overall survival
was similar over 14 years of follow-up.
- The adverse effects profile favored tE2, reducing hot flushes from 89% (Lupron) to 44% (tE2).
At 2 years bone mineral density improved by 7.9% ( tE2) vs. a -3% worsening for Lupron. This
change occurred rapidly over the first year. tE2 provided an improved quality of life.
- Cardiovascular adverse effects (heart failure, angina and myocardial infarction and
thromboembolic strokes) were similar, about 7-10% . However, gynecomastia developed in
85% (tE2) vs. 44% (Lupron). Prophylactic low-dose radiation to breast tissue lessens this
development.

Can you post the citation and or links to the full journal article for this? I suffered from severe joint pain while I was on ADT. The pain lasted for an additional year and a half after I quit ADT. This approach would have had different and hopefully less severe side effects. Thank you for posting this.

I got trial info from PCa Commentary. Volume 195 – November 2024

Here is more info

The final report for the PATCH trial on prostate cancer does not appear to be explicitly available yet. However, the trial has concluded recruitment, and significant findings have already been published. These include data showing that transdermal oestradiol (tE2) patches are non-inferior to LHRH analogs in terms of metastasis-free survival and offer improved quality of life with fewer cardiovascular risks and side effects like fatigue and hot flashes. The PATCH trial has also merged with the STAMPEDE trial for further analysis, with ongoing meta-analyses expected to provide additional insights

The full article has not been published yet. They finished recruiting people and significant findings have been released. They show that the Patches work as well as ADT. The estradiol patches have a lot of benefits Including lower cardiovascular risks, fatigue and hot flashes. If you have BRCA2 it is unsafe to use.

Thank you very much for the information. I hope I never need to take ADT again, but if I do, perhaps this is the route to go. My loss of muscle mass, pain throughout my body where I have arthritis, and difficulty in climbing stairs was something that I wouldn't wish on anyone. I also had hot flashes but they were a relatively minor annoyance.