Is there a standard chemotherapeutic regimen for hormone-refractory prostate cancer? Present and future approaches in the management of the disease.
Prostate cancer that no longer responds to hormonal manipulation can be defined as hormone-refractory prostate cancer. Until recently, there has been no standard chemotherapeutic approach for hormone-refractory prostate cancer. The major benefits of chemotherapy in the treatment of the disease are palliative in nature, in terms of reduction of pain and use of analgesics and improvement of performance status, as followed in the most recent trials. Phase III studies are necessary to better evaluate the efficacy of the different regimens, because several old studies suffer for methodological deficits. There is a promising activity of new drug combinations, such as vinca alkaloids and taxanes. Phase I and II trial are testing combinations of classic chemotherapeutic agents and biologic drugs, and the first results appear interesting. In this article, recent advances in the treatment of hormone-refractory prostate cancer using chemotherapeutic regimens are critically reviewed.
Di Lorenzo
Giuseppe
G
Department of Oncology, Federico II University, Naples, Italy.
Autorino
Riccardo
R
De Laurentiis
Michele
M
Bianco
Roberto
R
Lauria
Rossella
R
Giordano
Antonio
A
De Sio
Marco
M
D'Armiento
Massimino
M
Bianco
Angelo Raffaele
AR
De Placido
Sabino
S
D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018906:Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D017671:Platinum Compounds / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism*
D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; D018906:Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating; D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones; D007155:Immunologic Factors; D017671:Platinum Compounds