The cost of bilateral orchiectomy as a treatment for prostatic carcinoma.

Advanced prostatic carcinoma may be treated by a variety of methods of hormonal manipulation which affect the production of the male hormones. This can be achieved by surgical means, usually bilateral orchiectomy, or medically, by a number of drugs. One advantage of surgical over medical castration is that it is a once-only procedure. Another factor, which could be considered a major advantage, is the low cost of the surgical procedure. This report outlines the costs involved in treating prostatic carcinoma by surgical castration and compares them with the costs of some forms of medical treatment.