title: High-dose ketoconazole to untreated stage D prostate cancer.
abstract: Eleven previously untreated patients with stage D prostate cancer were treated with ketoconazole in a dosage of 400 mg p.o. every 8 h. s-Testosterone was used as a measure of antiandrogen effect. Nine patients had a reduction in s-testosterone to castrate levels (less than 2.9 nmol/l) within 3 days. In the remaining two patients, dose escalation of ketoconazole to 400 mg every 6 h did not lead to sufficient reduction in s-testosterone. Two patients had a complete response and four patients had a partial response of 6/11. Additionally, two patients had bone pain relief without normalization of acid phosphatase. Side-effects and adverse reactions were prominent, causing discontinuation of the treatment in nine patients. It is concluded that high-dose ketoconazole is effective in disseminated prostate cancer, but the high frequency of side-effects makes it less attractive than conventional hormone manipulations like castration or estrogens.
authors: Department of Oncology B, Finsen Institute, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Aabo
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Kjaer
authors: H H
authors: HH
authors: Hansen
mesh_terms: D000135:Acid Phosphatase / Q000097:blood; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D007654:Ketoconazole / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D013739:Testosterone; D000135:Acid Phosphatase; D007654:Ketoconazole; D006854:Hydrocortisone