Second-line chemotherapy in metastatic docetaxel-resistant prostate cancer: A review - Abstract

Division of Medical Oncology, "Giovanni Borea" Hospital, Via Giovanni Borea n. 56, 18038, Sanremo, Imperia, Italy.

The results of cytotoxic therapy in the second-line setting of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer have demonstrated that disease is poorly controlled after taxane resistance with a time to progression of 3 months or less. Many trials of second-line chemotherapy have been disappointing. However, most of patients with docetaxel-pretreated castration-resistant disease receive a second-line chemotherapy. Molecular mechanism of castration resistance and docetaxel resistance is resumed, and clinical trials of second-line chemotherapy after docetaxel progression are reviewed. Reintroduction of docetaxel after a drug-free interval is an active treatment in docetaxel-pretreated patients, and only recently a prospective study documented a survival benefit of 2.4 months after second-line taxane-based chemotherapy of metastatic docetaxel-resistant prostate cancer. Although a second-line chemotherapy with a taxane could improve overall survival, a change of biology of castration-resistant prostate cancer after docetaxel is suggested, as inferred by the renewed hormonal sensitivity, whose role on survival remains unknown, and from the activity of antiangiogenic drugs.

Written by:
Colloca G, Venturino A, Checcaglini F.   Are you the author?

Reference: Med Oncol. 2011 Feb 20. Epub ahead of print.
doi: 10.1007/s12032-011-9855-6

PubMed Abstract
PMID: 21336988

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