Docetaxel, with or without estramustine phosphate, as first-line chemotherapy for hormone-refractory prostate cancer: results of a multicentre, randomized phase II trial.
Author(s): Caffo O, Sava T, Comploj E, Fariello A, Zustovich F, Segati R, Sacco C, Valduga F, Cetto G, Galligioni E
Affiliation(s): Medical Oncology Department, University of Verona, Verona, Italy. orazio.caffo@apss.tn.it
Publication date & source: 2008-11, BJU Int., 102(9):1080-5. Epub 2008 May 15.
Publication type: Clinical Trial, Phase II; Multicenter Study; Randomized Controlled Trial
OBJECTIVE: To report the results of a randomized phase II trial of docetaxel with and without estramustine phosphate (EP) in patients with hormone-refractory prostate cancer (HRPC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with progressive HRPC were randomized to receive docetaxel 70 mg/m(2) on day 1 (arm A), or docetaxel 70 mg/m(2) on day 2 plus oral EP three times daily, at a total daily dose of 840 mg, on days 1-5 (arm B). The primary objective of the trial was to evaluate the activity of the treatments in terms of the response in prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level. RESULTS: Forty-five of the 49 patients centrally randomized to arm A and 44 of the 46 in arm B were evaluable for activity. The PSA level decreased by > or =50% in 40% of the patients in arm A and in 75% of those in arm B. The median time to PSA progression was 20 weeks in arm A and 30 weeks in arm B. The patients in arm B had an improvement in pain over time. CONCLUSION: These data support the existence of a possible advantage in combining docetaxel and EP, which should be verified in a specific randomized phase III study.
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