title: Docetaxel with or without estramustine for estramustine refractory castration-resistant prostate cancer: a single institution experience.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The significance of combination of docetaxel (DTX) with estramustine phosphate (EMP) in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) patients remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to retrospectively evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of DTX with or without EMP and to elucidate the significance of DTX and EMP combination therapy in Japanese EMP-refractory CRPC patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  To compare the efficacy and toxicity of DTX and EMP, we divided CRPC patients, who were confirmed to be resistant to EMP, into the following two groups: group D (n = 28), which included patients treated with DTX (60 mg/m2, once in every four weeks) alone, and group DE (n = 33), which included patients treated with a combination of DTX (60 mg/m2, once in every four weeks) and EMP (twice daily oral administration at 280 mg).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Prostate specific antigen (PSA) response (> 50% decline in PSA) was observed in six patients (21%) in group D and eight patients (24%) in group DE. The median time to progression (TTP) was 12.0 months and 6.2 months and the median overall survival (OS) was 26.4 months and 24.3 months in group D and DE, respectively. There was no statistical difference between the two groups in terms of PSA response, TTP, and OS. The incidence of adverse events of grade 3/4 was low in both the groups, and there was no statistical difference between the two groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although treatment with DTX at 60 mg/m2 was effective and highly tolerated in EMP-refractory Japanese CRPC patients, the DTX and EMP combination therapy might not exhibit any survival benefit for CRPC patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Jichi Medical University, Yakushiji 3311-1, Shimotsuke-city, Tochigi 3290498, Japan. nknkzhk@jichi.ac.jp
authors.forename: Kazuhiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakano
authors.forename: Shigeyuki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ohta
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Komatsu
authors.forename: Taro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kubo
authors.forename: Akinori
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nukui
authors.forename: Kazumi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Shinsuke
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kurokawa
authors.forename: Minoru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Tatsuo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Morita
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D000077143:Docetaxel; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004961:Estramustine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009919:Orchiectomy; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D043823:Taxoids / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D043823:Taxoids; D000077143:Docetaxel; D004961:Estramustine; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen