Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Chemotherapy of prostate cancer: Present and future Donald Trump1 and Yiu-Keung Lau1

Donald Trump1 and Yiu-Keung Lau1

(1) Department of Medicine, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Elm and Carlton Streets, 14263 Buffalo, NY, USA


Abstract The role of chemotherapy in prostate cancer continues to evolve. In men with symptomatic androgen-independent prostate cancer, significant reduction in pain and analgesic requirements are achievable with mitoxantrone and glucocorticoid combinations compared with glucocorticoids alone. However, survival rates are not improved. Taxane-based combinations with estramustine phosphate or other new agents show promise. Prostate-specific antigen response rates with these combinations appear to be 1.5 to 2 times more frequent than with mitoxantrone-based combinations. Randomized trials of taxane versus mitoxantrone-based therapies are underway. New agents and applications of current agents in adjuvant settings should be explored if survival in men with prostate cancer is to be improved.

No comments: