The cardiovascular risk induced by oestrogen treatment appears to be minimal when oestrogens are prescribed at low doses (daily dose less than 3 mg/day) and when this drug is not prescribed in patients with a history of cardiovascular disease. The Prostatic Cancer Cooperative Study Group compared the course of 137 patients treated by oestrogens with a French male population matched for age: ten accidents were observed versus nine expected and one death was observed versus 3 expected. By selecting patients, oestrogens can therefore still be part of the range of treatments available for advanced prostatic cancer.