Prostate Cancer Chemotherapy and Survival: An Overview
According to two large phase-III studies, chemotherapy regimens that include the drug
docetaxel extend median survival by two to three months in patients with advanced
prostate cancer that is no longer responsive to hormone therapy. These are the first clinical trials to show that chemotherapy can improve survival in advanced prostate cancer. Results were published in the October 7, 2004, issue of the
New England Journal of Medicine.
Prostate Cancer Chemotherapy and Survival: Study 1 Background
Therapies that lower the body's level of the male sex hormone testosterone, which encourages prostate cancer growth, are the mainstay of treatment for prostate cancer that has spread to other organs. However, many patients stop responding to hormonal therapies after two to three years of treatment. No effective therapy currently exists for advanced prostate cancer that stops responding to hormonal therapy.
Chemotherapy with the drugs
prednisone and mitoxantrone has been shown to reduce pain in men with advanced prostate cancer that has spread to the bones, but this regimen does not help patients to live any longer. Several previous studies of different chemotherapy regimens had failed to identify a drug or combination of drugs that extended patients' survival.
Prostate Cancer Chemotherapy and Survival: Study 1 Specifics
This first study involved 770 men with advanced prostate cancer that no longer responded to hormonal therapy. The men were randomly assigned to treatment with the drugs docetaxel and estramustine or with prednisone and mitoxantrone. The latter treatment is the only currently approved treatment for prostate cancer patients at this point in their disease.
Add this article to your Favorites
Email this article
Print