Skip to main content
Log in

Chemotherapy for androgen-independent prostate cancer

  • Topic Paper
  • Published:
World Journal of Urology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The evolution of taxanes as treatment for androgen-independent prostate cancer hes emerged from both the laboratory and clinic. Docetaxel is a potent in vitro inhibitor of Bcl-2, an antiapoptotic gene. Phase I and II studies with docetaxel alone or in combination with estramustine demonstrated promissing median survivals of 14--23 months, higher than what would have been expected for historic controls. Two randomized trials have proven the superiority of docetaxel based treatment in improving survival in men with androgen-independent prostate cancer. SWOG 99-16 and TAX 327 found that docetaxel-based therapy reduced the risk of death by 20--24% when compared to mitoxantrone-based therapy. Future trials will build on docetaxel-based combinations with novel targeted agents.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Yagoda A, Petrylak D (1993) Cytotoxic chemotherapy for advanced hormone-resistant prostate cancer. Cancer 71[Suppl]:1098–1109

  2. Kantoff PW, Halabi S, Conaway M et al. (1999) Hydrocortisone with or without mitoxantrone in men with hormone-refractory prostate cancer: results of the cancer and leukemia group B 9182 study. J Clin Oncol 17:2506–2513

    Google Scholar 

  3. Tannock IF, Osoba D, Stockler MR et al. (1996) Chemotherapy with mitoxantrone plus prednisone or prednisone alone for symptomatic hormone-resistant prostate cancer: a Canadian randomized trial with palliative end points. J Clin Oncol 14:1756–1764

    Google Scholar 

  4. Petrylak DP, Tangen CM, Hussain MH et al. (2004) Docetaxel and estramustine compared with mitoxantrone and prednisone for advanced refractory prostate cancer. New Engl J Med 351:1513–1520

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Tannock IF, De Wit R, Berry WR et al. (2004) Docetaxel plus prednisone or mitoxantrone plus prednisone for advanced prostate cancer. New Engl J Med 351:1502–1512

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Catz SD, Johnson JL (2003) BCL-2 in prostate cancer: a minireview. Apoptosis 8:29–37

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Haldar S, Chintapalli J, Croce CM (1996) Taxol induces bcl-2 phosphorylation and death of prostate cancer cells. Cancer Res 56:1253–1255

    Google Scholar 

  8. Dahllof B, Billstrom A, Cabral F, Hartley-Asp B (1993) Estramustine depolymerizes microtubules by binding to tubulin. Cancer Res 53:4573–4581

    Google Scholar 

  9. Pienta KJ, Lehr JE (1993). Inhibition of prostate cancer growth by estramustine and etoposide: evidence for interaction at the nuclear matrix. J Urol 149:1622–1625

    Google Scholar 

  10. Speicher LA, Barone LR, Chapman AE et al. (1994) P-glycoprotein binding and modulation of the multidrug-resistant phenotype by estramustine. J Natl Cancer Inst 86:688–694

    Google Scholar 

  11. Perry CM, McTavish D (1995) Estramustine phosphate sodium. A review of its pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic properties, and therapeutic efficacy in prostate cancer. Drugs Aging 7:49–74

    Google Scholar 

  12. Tew KD, Glusker JP, Hartley-Asp B, Hudes G, Speicher LA (1992) Preclinical and clinical perspectives on the use of estramustine as an antimitotic drug. Pharmacol Ther 56:323–339

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Speicher LA, Barone L, Tew KD (1992) Combined antimicrotubule activity of estramustine and taxol in human prostatic carcinoma cell lines. Cancer Res 52:4433–4440

    Google Scholar 

  14. Kreis W, Budman DR, Calabro A (1997) Unique synergism or antagonism of combinations of chemotherapeutic and hormonal agents in human prostate cancer cell lines. Br J Urol 79:196–202

    Google Scholar 

  15. Hudes G, Einhorn L, Ross E et al. (1999) Vinblastine versus vinblastine plus oral estramustine phosphate for patients with hormone-refractory prostate cancer: A Hoosier Oncology Group and Fox Chase Network phase III trial. J Clin Oncol 17:3160–3166

    Google Scholar 

  16. Berry WR, Hathorn JW, Dakhil SR et al. (2004) Phase II randomized trial of weekly paclitaxel with or without estramustine phosphate in progressive, metastatic, hormone-refractory prostate cancer. Clin Prostate Cancer 3:104–111

    Google Scholar 

  17. Picus J, Schultz M (1999) Docetaxel (Taxotere) as monotherapy in the treatment of hormone-refractory prostate cancer: preliminary results. Semin Oncol 26 [Suppl 17]:14–18

    Google Scholar 

  18. Roth BJ, Yeap BY, Wilding G, Kasimis B, McLeod D, Loehrer PJ (1993) Taxol in advanced, hormone-refractory carcinoma of the prostate. A phase II trial of the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group. Cancer 72:2457–2460

    Google Scholar 

  19. Beer TM, Pierce WC, Lowe BA, Henner WD (2001) Phase II study of weekly docetaxel in symptomatic androgen-independent prostate cancer. Ann Oncol 12:1273–1279

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Berry W, Dakhil S, Gregurich MA, Asmar L (2001) Phase II trial of single-agent weekly docetaxel in hormone-refractory, symptomatic, metastatic carcinoma of the prostate. Semin Oncol 28 [Suppl 15]:8–15

    Google Scholar 

  21. Trivedi C, Redman B, Flaherty LE et al. (2000) Weekly 1-hour infusion of paclitaxel. Clinical feasibility and efficacy in patients with hormone-refractory prostate carcinoma. Cancer 89:431–436

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Obasaju C, Hudes GR (2001) Paclitaxel and docetaxel in prostate cancer. Hematol Oncol Clin North Am 15:525–545

    Google Scholar 

  23. Petrylak DP, Macarthur RB, O’Connor J et al. (1999) Phase I trial of docetaxel with estramustine in androgen-independent prostate cancer. J Clin Oncol 17:958–967

    Google Scholar 

  24. Kreis W, Budman DR, Fetten J, Gonzales AL, Barile B, Vinciguerra V (1999) Phase I trial of the combination of daily estramustine phosphate and intermittent docetaxel in patients with metastatic hormone refractory prostate carcinoma. Ann Oncol 10:33–38

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Petrylak DP, Macarthur R, O’Connor J et al. (1999) Phase I/II studies of docetaxel (Taxotere) combined with estramustine in men with hormone-refractory prostate cancer. Semin Oncol 26 [Suppl 17]:28–33

    Google Scholar 

  26. Savarese DM, Halabi S, Hars V et al. (2001) Phase II study of docetaxel, estramustine, and low-dose hydrocortisone in men with hormone-refractory prostate cancer: a final report of CALGB 9780. Cancer and Leukemia Group B. J Clin Oncol 19:2509–2516

    Google Scholar 

  27. Dahut WL, Gulley JL, Arlen PM et al. (2004) Randomized phase II trial of docetaxel plus thalidomide in androgen-independent prostate cancer. J Clin Oncol 22:2532–2539

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Picus J, Halabi S, Rini B et al. (2003) The use of bevacizumab (B) with docetaxel (D) and estramustine (E) in hormone refractory prostate cancer (HRPC): initial results of CALGB 90006. Proceeding of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, 2003, 22:393

    Google Scholar 

  29. Dreicer R, Roth B, Petrylak D et al. (2004) Phase I/II trial of bortezomid plus docetaxel in patients with advanced androgen-independent prostate cancer. Proceeding of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, 2004, 22:4664

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Petrylak, D.P. Chemotherapy for androgen-independent prostate cancer. World J Urol 23, 10–13 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00345-004-0482-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00345-004-0482-0

Keywords

Navigation