title: Abiraterone in heavily pretreated patients with metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer.
abstract: The aim of this study was to evaluate the activity and tolerability of abiraterone acetate in patients with metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer treated previously with more than three lines of chemotherapy. Patients received 1 g of abiraterone acetate (administered as four 250 mg tablets) orally once daily with prednisone at a dose of 5 mg orally twice daily. The primary endpoint was prostate-specific antigen (PSA) response. From August 2011 to January 2013, 36 patients were enrolled. PSA response was observed in 22 patients (61.1%, 95% confidence interval: 0.41-0.81). The median time to PSA progression was 7.3 months and after a median follow-up of 10.1 months, all patients were alive. The treatment was generally well tolerated; side effects secondary to mineralocorticoid excess resulting from blockade of CYP17 were largely controlled with prednisone. Abiraterone acetate seems to be an effective and well-tolerated treatment option for patients with metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer irrespective of the number of chemotherapy lines administered previously.
authors.affiliation: aMedical Oncology Unit, Policlinico Umberto I Hospital, University of Rome, Rome bPharmacology Unit cMedical Oncology Unit, University of Siena dDepartment of Odontostomatology and Maxillo-Facial Surgery, University of Siena, Siena, Italy.
authors.forename: Edoardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Francini
authors.forename: Anna Ida
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Fiaschi
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Petrioli
authors.forename: Filippo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Francini
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bianco
authors.forename: Armando
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Perrella
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Paganini
authors.forename: Letizia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Laera
authors.forename: Giandomenico
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Roviello
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000556:secondary; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000736:Androstenes; D000737:Androstenols / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008901:Mineralocorticoids / Q000378:metabolism; D011241:Prednisone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D064129:Prostatic Neoplasms, Castration-Resistant / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D013254:Steroid 17-alpha-Hydroxylase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000736:Androstenes; D000737:Androstenols; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D008901:Mineralocorticoids; D013254:Steroid 17-alpha-Hydroxylase; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen; C089740:abiraterone; D011241:Prednisone