Current potentialities of chemotherapy for hormone-resistant cancer of the prostate

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to reveal the most optimal treatment of hormone-resistant prostatic cancer (HRPC), by comparatively analyzing the efficiency and toxicity of 4 chemotherapy regimens: 1) mitoxantrone, 12 mg/m², i.v. once 21 days; prednisolone, 10 mg/day (MP); 2) mitoxantrone, 12 mg/m², i.v. on day 2; cisplatin, 60 mg/m², i.v. on day 1; prednisolone, 10 mg/day (MCP); 3) docetaxel, 75 mg/m²; estramustine, 300 mg/m² daily; prednisolone, 10 mg/day (DEP); 4) doxorubicin, 20 mg/m², on day 1 of weeks 1, 3, and 5; ketoconasole, 1200 mg/day on days 1—7 of weeks 1, 3, and 5; docetaxel, 20 mg/m² on day 1 of weeks 2, 4, and 6; estramustine, 420 mg/day, on days 1—7 of weeks 2, 4, and 6; prednisolone, 10 mg/day (DKDEP). The study covering 39 patients indicated the low efficiency of MR (8,6%) as first-line chemotherapy for HRPC and the high efficiency of the docetaxel-induced regimens used mainly as second-line chemotherapy: DEP (40%) and DKDEP (30%). Treatment of HRPC was most effective when the docetaxel-containing combinations were administered. The latter may be used as first-line chemotherapy and second-line one after application of mitoxantrone-containing regimens.