Bilateral Subcapsular Orchidectomy as Surgical Castration: A Reasonable Aesthetic Alternative to Bilateral Total Orchidectomy in Patients with Metastatic Hormone-sensitive Prostate Cancer

Background: The study highlights the historical significance of bilateral orchidectomy as the traditional 'gold standard' for surgical androgen deprivation in treating advanced prostate cancer. The study presented aims to compare total orchidectomy and subcapsular orchidectomy, considering factors such as androgen ablation, disease progression control, and patient satisfaction. Objective: This study aims to compare the effectiveness and patient satisfaction of bilateral subcapsular orchidectomy and bilateral total orchidectomy treatment in managing hormone-sensitive metastatic prostate cancer. Methods and materials: In this prospective study of 18 months at North East Medical College Hospital, 40 participants with Metastatic Carcinoma of Prostate underwent bilateral orchidectomy, among them 20 subcapsular and 20 total orchidectomy. The research focused on evaluating the impact of these treatments on serum testosterone levels, serum PSA levels, employing as outpatient procedures and a 3-month follow-up, utilizing a satisfaction scoring scale. Data, including age, Gleason Grade Group, PSA, and testosterone levels at diagnosis & at 3-month follow-up were recorded and analyzed using IBM SPSS-21 software. Result: The study compared Bilateral Subcapsular Orchidectomy and Bilateral Simple Orchidectomy for Hormone-Sensitive Metastatic Carcinoma of Prostate in 40 patients. The highest frequency was in the 71-75 age group (30%), with a mean age of 66.67 ± 2.21 years. Gleason grade group 3 dominated (40%), followed by 2 (25%). Pre-operative PSA levels were 31.14±1.27 ng/ml for Subcapsular and 35.21±1.70 ng/ml for Total Orchidectomy, decreasing post-operatively to 8.25±0.41 ng/ml and 7.32±0.80 ng/ml, respectively. Pre-operative testosterone levels were 513.21±3.01 ng/dl for Subcapsular and 498.40±2.10 ng/dl for Total Orchidectomy, decreasing post-operatively to 21.14±2.84 ng/dl and 16.90±1.08 ng/dl, respectively, with non-significant p-values. Surgery related Satisfaction scores in the Follow-Up phase were significantly higher for Subcapsular Orchidectomy, 2.91±0.31 comparing with Total Orchidectomy, 2.05±0.45. The results emphasize better patient satisfaction after subcapsular orchidectomy, while maintaining similar cancer control in the form of PSA and testosterone level changes. Conclusion: In conclusion, our study advocates for the reconsideration of bilateral subcapsular orchidectomy as a preferred method for surgical androgen ablation in metastatic prostatic carcinoma, offering comparable efficacy to traditional total orchidectomy approach while prioritizing patient satisfaction and psychological well-being. This suggests a potential paradigm shift in the landscape of cost-effective androgen deprivation therapy within the urological field.