Use
Bicalutamide was well tolerated in monotherapy as well as in combination. No dose-related increase in adverse events was reported. Adverse events were partially due to pharmacological effects of an anti-androgen, which include gynecomastia, breast tenderness, and hot flushes. Other non-pharmacological adverse events, with incidence equal or higher than 10% were, for example, constipation, nausea, diarrhea, asthenia, pain, and infection. The frequency of non-pharmacological adverse events was in the same range as reported for comparator in clinical trials. In contrast to flutamide, the incidence of diarrhea and liver abnormalities was much lower for bicalutamide. As compared with castration, monotherapy with bicalutamide allowed patients to maintain libido and have better physical capacity, thus resulting in better quality of life.Based on the results of the clinical trials mentioned above, bicalutamide was first approved in 1995. Bicalutamide is indicated for the use in combination with an LHRH-A analogue for metastatic prostate carcinoma (50mg).