Adjuvant mitozantrone chemotherapy in advanced prostate cancer.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the role of mitozantrone, active in relapsed prostate cancer, as an adjuvant to hormonal treatment in patients with advanced prostate cancer.


METHODS
Between October 1990 and May 1995, 96 patients were entered into a stratified, randomized, single-institution study of hormonal therapy with a luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonist and flutamide, with or without four cycles of adjuvant mitozantrone. Of these, 93 patients were evaluable and the results were analysed in June 1999.


RESULTS
Patients with localized prostate cancer receiving adjuvant chemotherapy had a higher initial objective response rate (95% vs 53%, P = 0.008) and median survival (80 vs 36 months, P = 0.04) than patients who were treated with hormonal therapy alone. There was no advantage to adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with metastatic prostate cancer. There were insignificant advantages to chemotherapy in overall response rates (55% vs 39%, P = 0.3) and PSA responses (82% vs 64%, P = 0.11). There was no difference between the patient groups in time to treatment failure.


CONCLUSIONS
There was a survival advantage in using adjuvant mitozantrone in patients with locally advanced prostate cancer. Although the study comprised relative few patients, the follow-up period was long and the advantage significant. We recommend that the study be extended to include more patients.
Wang
J
J
Department of Oncology, Imperial College School of Medicine, Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK.
Halford
S
S
Rigg
A
A
Roylance
R
R
Lynch
M
M
Waxman
J
J
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant / Q000379:methods; D005485:Flutamide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008942:Mitoxantrone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000097:blood; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D011966:Receptors, LHRH / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D011966:Receptors, LHRH; D005485:Flutamide; D008942:Mitoxantrone; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen