In a new study from the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, researchers have found that adding hormone therapy to post-surgery care may not be beneficial for some prostate cancer patients, as they may be able to forgo hormone therapy altogether, depending on the specifics of their condition.
Black men, who are historically underrepresented in prostate cancer clinical trials, are disproportionately affected by prostate cancer, with 189 cases per 100,000 individuals in 2025. They also have a higher death rate from the disease, with 37 deaths per 100,000 individuals.
The results of this UCLA study could affect how Black patients with prostate cancer are treated for their condition. However, there needs to be more clinical trial representation for the results to be truly representative.
The meta-analysis, published in The Lancet, analyzed six studies, including 6,057 patients, with age groups below 60, 60 to 64, 65 to 69, and 70 and above. Men who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer typically undergo both hormone therapy and definitive radiation after their surgery to prevent the cancer from returning.
Amar Kishan, MD, the Executive Vice Chair of Radiation Oncology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and the first author of the study, stated that while hormone therapy has been shown to improve overall survival for patients before surgery, post-op is a different story.
“Hormone therapy, which impacts the ability of testosterone to stimulate prostate cancer growth and repair, has been shown to improve outcomes when combined with radiotherapy in men whose prostates are still intact,” Dr. Kishan said in a news release. “However, whether it has a similar benefit for men receiving radiotherapy after prior surgery has remained unclear.”
According to the results of the study, hormone therapy post-op, either short-term or long-term, did not significantly affect patients’ overall survival. While 83.4 percent of men who received just radiotherapy post-op were alive after 10 years, so were 84.3 percent of men who received the additional hormone therapy.
Prostate-specific antigen, or PSA, is a protein that is produced by both normal and malignant (cancerous) cells. If an individual has prostate cancer or a benign condition, their blood’s PSA levels can rise. Depending on their PSA level, patients might be able to skip the hormone therapy and undergo solely post-op radiotherapy (PORT), which Dr. Kishan said could “spare them months of treatment that may substantially affect their quality of life without extending survival.”
The study does not specify what this means for various races and ethnicities. For Black men, who have been found to have higher PSA levels, this could mean they may indeed require the post-op hormone therapy.
“Our findings show that for most men with detectable but low PSA levels (<0.5 ng/mL), after surgery to remove the prostate, post-operative radiotherapy is highly effective on its own,” Dr. Kishan said. It is unclear what this could mean for Black patients.
In 2023, Dr. Kishan led a study that found Black men were also less likely to be prescribed novel hormone therapy treatments pre-prostate cancer surgery, despite having positive treatment responses.
There are clearly large disparities when it comes not only to Black men’s treatment for prostate cancer, but also to their participation in clinical trials for the disease.
Keith Crawford, MD, PhD, the Prostate Health Education Network (PHEN) Director of Clinical Trials and Patient Education, led a 2025 study examining barriers to Black men’s participation in prostate cancer clinical trials.
“Prostate cancer patients can gain life-saving treatments from clinical trials,” Dr. Crawford said in a news release. “Tailored clinical trials have the potential to transform prostate cancer care, decreasing side effects and improving the overall quality of life for each patient.”
If you are a patient with prostate cancer undergoing treatment, or you were recently diagnosed, you may want to speak to your doctor about your treatment options pre- and post-surgery.
If you have lower PSA levels, it may not be necessary for you to undergo hormone therapy in addition to radiation after your surgery. However, this will be determined by your provider.
There is always a need for better representation within clinical trials, particularly for Black patients. If you want to participate in a trial to help further the medical research on your condition, you can visit BlackDoctor’s Clinical Trial Resource Center or ClinicalTrials.gov to find additional studies.
While the most recent UCLA study may not specify how its results will affect Black men with prostate cancer, providers and communities must continue to advocate for their participation in clinical trials.
“We call for stronger collaboration between patients, health professionals, the pharmaceutical industry, and clinical trial investigators,” the study’s authors said. “Engaging target communities in discussions about the value of clinical trial enrollment is key to creating inclusive clinical trial populations and can be accomplished through outreach strategies involving, for example, church and advocacy groups.”
Whether you have been diagnosed with prostate cancer or another condition, you can always take the step to advocate for yourself and your community by participating in clinical trials to help further medical research like this study.
By subscribing, you consent to receive emails from BlackDoctor.com. You may unsubscribe at any time. Privacy Policy & Terms of Service.
