title: Dexamethasone may be the most efficacious corticosteroid for use as monotherapy in castration-resistant prostate cancer.
abstract: Corticosteroids have been used in the therapy for castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) for decades, both as monotherapy and in combination with additional agents. In this article the authors report the results of a phase II trial of dexamethasone versus prednisolone as monotherapy for CRPC. The study suggests improved PSA and radiographic response rates as well as improved time to PSA progression for dexamethasone over prednisolone therapy; however the differences only trend toward statistical significance. Nonetheless, in light of these data, when treating patients with corticosteroid monotherapy for CRPC it may be prudent to consider using daily dexamethasone over prednisone/prednisolone.
authors.affiliation: a Division of Hematology/Oncology; Department of Internal Medicine ; Penn State Milton S. Hershey Cancer Institute ; Hershey , PA USA.
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Holder
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Drabick
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Joshi
mesh_terms: D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018450:Disease Progression; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000097:blood*; D064129:Prostatic Neoplasms, Castration-Resistant / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D003907:Dexamethasone; D011239:Prednisolone; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen
keywords: castration-resistant prostate cancer; dexamethasone; prednisolone; prednisone