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OBJECTIVE	The aim of the study was to compare intermittent ( IAD ) and continuous ( CAD ) androgen deprivation therapy ( ADT ) between locally advanced ( M0 ) and metastatic ( M1 ) prostate cancer , and the effect of ADT on the quality of life .
METHODS	In total , 852 men with advanced prostate cancer were enrolled to receive goserelin acetate for 24 weeks .
METHODS	Of these , 554 patients whose prostate-specific antigen ( PSA ) decreased to less than 10 ng/ml or by at least 50 % ( < 20 ng/ml at baseline ) were randomized to IAD or CAD .
METHODS	In the IAD arm , ADT was resumed for at least 24 weeks whenever PSA increased to greater than 20 ng/ml or above baseline .
RESULTS	Median follow-up time was 65 months .
RESULTS	Median times from randomization to progression , death , prostate cancer death and treatment failure in M0 and M1 patients were 46.8 and 21.4 , 57.6 and 40.3 , 59.5 and 40.7 , and 41.9 and 20.0 months , respectively ( p < 0.001 ) .
RESULTS	No significant differences emerged between IAD and CAD .
RESULTS	ADT showed a beneficial effect on pain , activity limitation and social functioning in M1 patients , and a deleterious effect on physical capacity in M0 patients and on sexual functioning in both groups .
RESULTS	IAD offered extra benefit for activity limitation , social functioning and recovery of sexual functioning .
CONCLUSIONS	IAD is as efficient as CAD in treatment of locally advanced and metastatic prostate cancer .
CONCLUSIONS	ADT improves quality of life in M1 patients , with IAD offering extra benefit .

