ASCO 2025: Docetaxel with ADT and Radiotherapy for High-Risk Localized Prostate Cancer: An ICECaP Individual Patient-Data Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

(UroToday.com) The 2025 ASCO annual meeting featured a prostate cancer rapid oral abstract session and a presentation by Dr. Praful Ravi discussing an ICECaP individual patient-data meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials assessing docetaxel with ADT and radiotherapy for high-risk localized prostate cancer. There is no established role for the use of docetaxel with ADT and radiotherapy for high-risk localized prostate cancer, with mixed results seen in prior RCTs.


Prior work from ICECaP1 has shown that patients with very high-risk disease (ie 2 or 3 risk factors: Gleason ≥8, PSA >20 ng/mL, ≥cT3 and/or cN1) have the poorest outcomes with radiotherapy + ADT for high-risk localized prostate cancer, with 5-year metastasis-free survival of ≤80%. Dr. Ravi and colleagues aimed to perform an IPD meta-analysis of the role of docetaxel with ADT + radiotherapy for high-risk localized prostate cancer and specifically evaluate whether patients with very high-risk disease benefit from the addition of docetaxel.

 IPD from RCTs involving patients with high-risk localized prostate cancer treated with radiotherapy + ADT +/- docetaxel collated by ICECaP were analyzed. “High-risk” disease was defined as presence of 1 risk factor and “very high-risk” disease as 2-3 risk factors and/or cN1 disease. The primary outcomes of interest were metastasis-free survival and overall survival. Hazard ratios for metastasis-free survival and overall survival were estimated using Cox regression, stratified by year of randomization and adjusted for age at randomization and ECOG performance status. 5-year metastasis-free survival and overall survival rates were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Subgroup analyses were performed according to the severity of disease (high- and very high-risk), and p-values for interaction were tested using the likelihood ratio test.

There were 1,690 patients treated on 4 RCTs (GETUG-12, DFCI 05-043, STAMPEDE, RTOG-0521) between 2002-2015 eligible. The median age was 65 years, median PSA was 23 ng/mL (IQR 10-48), 154 (9%) patients had cN1 disease, and 1,444 (85%) received long-term ADT with radiotherapy. The median follow-up was 10 years (range: <1-15).

 Overall, the addition of docetaxel to radiotherapy + ADT was not associated with a significant benefit in metastasis-free survival (HR 0.89 [0.76-1.05], p = 0.160) or overall survival (HR 0.88 [0.74-1.05], p = 0.167). Though there was some evidence for favoring docetaxel in patients with very high-risk disease (n = 1,054: metastasis-free survival HR 0.86 [0.71-1.05]; overall survival HR 0.85 [0.68-1.07]) compared to high-risk disease (n = 636: metastasis-free survival HR 0.97 [0.74-1.27]; overall survival HR 0.95 [0.71-1.28]), there was no evidence of a significant difference in treatment effect by risk group (p-interaction >0.1). The 5- and 10-year metastasis-free survival and overall survival rates in patients with high- and very high-risk disease, stratified by receipt of docetaxel, are shown in the following table:hough there was some evidence for favoring docetaxel in patients with very high-risk disease (n = 1,054: metastasis-free survival HR 0.86 [0.71-1.05]; overall survival HR 0.85 [0.68-1.07]) compared to high-risk disease (n = 636: metastasis-free survival HR 0.97 [0.74-1.27]; overall survival HR 0.95 [0.71-1.28]), there was no evidence of a significant difference in treatment effect by risk group (p-interaction >0.1). The 5- and 10-year metastasis-free survival and overall survival rates in patients with high- and very high-risk disease, stratified by receipt of docetaxel, are shown in the following table: 
Dr. Ravi concluded his presentation discussing an ICECaP individual patient-data meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials assessing docetaxel with ADT and radiotherapy for high-risk localized prostate cancer with the following take-home points:

  • Some high-risk localized prostate cancer patients with very high-risk disease may benefit from the addition of docetaxel to radiotherapy + ADT
  • Biomarker evaluation within this group may identify those who are candidates for treatment intensification with docetaxel with radiotherapy + ADT (+/- androgen receptor pathway inhibitors) in high-risk localized prostate cancer

Presented by: Praful Ravi, MB, BChir, MRCP, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA

Written by: Zachary Klaassen, MD, MSc – Urologic Oncologist, Associate Professor of Urology, Georgia Cancer Center, Wellstar MCG Health, @zklaassen_md on Twitter during the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2025 Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL, Fri, May 30 – Tues, Jun 3, 2025.

Related content: ICECaP Meta-Analysis Explores Docetaxel's Benefit in Very High-Risk Prostate Cancer - Praful Ravi

References:

  1. Ravi P, Xie W, Buyse M, et al. Refining Risk Stratification of High-risk and Locoregional Prostate Cancer: A Pooled Analysis of Randomized Trials. Eur Urol. 2025 Feb;87(2):217-224.