title: Immunotherapy for metastatic prostate cancer: where are we at with sipuleucel-T?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Prostate cancer is the leading malignancy in North American men and despite improvements in treatments 20 - 30% of patients will relapse. Immunotherapy using activated mononuclear cells is a way to harness the body's adaptive immune response to fight metastatic prostate cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 2005, at least 10 therapeutic cancer vaccines, designed to confer active, specific immunotherapy against tumor-associated antigens, were in clinical trials. These covered potential fields of immunological strategy to overcome castration-resistant prostate cancer.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A literature review was performed using the search terms sipuleucel-T, Provenge and APC8015 or APC-8015, and restricted to English language articles from 2000 to 2010. The immunological design and development of sipuleucel-T are summarized. The efficacy and safety of sipuleucel-T are discussed based on current data from clinical trials. Ongoing clinical trials involving sipuleucel-T are summarized.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Efficacy and safety with sipuleucel-T has been demonstrated in Phase I/II trials. The latest data from a Phase III trial shows that sipuleucel-T has met the primary endpoint of survival benefit. Further work is needed to understand the mechanisms behind cancer vaccine failure and elucidate the population for whom this vaccine will be suitable.
authors.affiliation: Divisions of Urology and Surgical Oncology, Departments of Surgery and Oncology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Chen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lü
authors.forename: Andrew K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Venu
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Chalasani
authors.forename: Carlos H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Martínez
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chin
mesh_terms: D019496:Cancer Vaccines / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy; D008297:Male; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D014020:Tissue Extracts / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D019496:Cancer Vaccines; D014020:Tissue Extracts; C511774:sipuleucel-T