Health

NEW YORK: Preliminary research suggests that a new hormone treatment could be a weapon for doctors in the battle against a form of prostate cancer that's resistant to surgical removal of the testicles.

Only two of the three phases of research required for new drug treatments have been completed, however. At this point, it's not clear whether the treatment will go on to receive federal approval.

The hormone treatment, called MDV3100, is being tested as a treatment for a disease known as castration-resistant prostate cancer, according to a report on the research, published online April 14 in The Lancet.

Prostate tumors need testosterone to grow. One treatment involves castration, possibly with additional drug treatment, to combat the body's processing of testosterone.

Though the treatment kills some cancer cells, others remain alive but dormant, the researchers explained in a news release from the journal. And these cells can re-grow and survive without as much testosterone, thus becoming castration-resistant, they said.