title: Intermittent chemotherapy in metastatic androgen-independent prostate cancer.
abstract: Intermittent use of chemotherapy for androgen-independent prostate cancer (AIPC) instead of treatment until disease progression may reduce toxicity. We prospectively tested this approach in eight AIPC patients responding to calcitriol plus docetaxel who reached a serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) <4 ng ml(-1). Chemotherapy was suspended until a rise in PSA>/=50% and 1 ng ml(-1). The median duration of treatment holiday was 20 weeks (13-43+weeks) and all patients retained sensitivity to re-treatment. Chemotherapy holiday was associated with an improvement of fatigue (P=0.05). Intermittent chemotherapy for AIPC is feasible and deserves further study.
authors.affiliation: Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Mail Code L586, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR 97239, USA. beert@ohsu.edu
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Beer
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Garzotto
authors.forename: W D
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Henner
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Eilers
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Wersinger
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000726:Androgen Antagonists / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000556:secondary; D002117:Calcitriol / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D000077143:Docetaxel; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000097:blood; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D015996:Survival Rate; D043823:Taxoids
chemical_list: D000726:Androgen Antagonists; D043823:Taxoids; D000077143:Docetaxel; D003907:Dexamethasone; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen; D002117:Calcitriol; D017239:Paclitaxel