PURPOSE:Cetuximab (C), a chimeric monoclonal antibody that binds epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), is active against androgen-independent prostate cancer cell lines and might enhance the activity of chemotherapy.
The efficacy of combining cetuximab with mitoxantrone (M) plus prednisone (MP) was evaluated in progressive metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) after receiving docetaxel.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients with progression after receiving docetaxel were eligible and randomized 2:1 to CMP or MP. Therapy was mitoxantrone 12 mg/m2 intravenously (I.V.) on day 1, oral prednisone 10 mg daily in both arms, and cetuximab 250 mg/m2 I.V. (400 mg/m2 day 1, cycle 1) on days 1, 8, and 15 in the CMP arm. Cycles were repeated every 21 days. Radiologic assessments of disease and PSA (prostate-specific antigen) occurred every 4 cycles. The primary endpoint was time to progression (TTP).
RESULTS: A total of 115 patients were enrolled, 75 in the CMP and 40 in the MP arm: the median TTP was 4.9 and 6.6 months, respectively; the measurable disease response rate was 2% and 4%, the PSA response rate 7.7% and 17.6%, and median survival 11.9 and 15.7 months, respectively. Key grade 3-4 toxicities were neutropenia 44% and 25.6%, anemia 6.7% and 7.7%, thrombocytopenia 6.7% and 2.6%, and fatigue 8% in both arms. In an unplanned exploratory analysis, median TTP with (n = 24) and without rash (n = 51) in the CMP arm was 10.3 months vs. 2.8 months (P = .004). On multivariable analysis,rash was significantly associated with TTP (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.43; P = .01).
CONCLUSIONS: The treatment with CMP is not recommended in unselected men with docetaxel-treated CRPC, although rash might help develop tailored therapy.
Written by:
Fleming MT, Sonpavde G, Kolodziej M, Awasthi S, Hutson TE, Martincic D, Rastogi A, Rousey SR, Weinstein RE, Galsky MD, Berry WR, Wang Y, Boehm KA, Asmar L, Rauch MA, Beer TM. Are you the author?
US Oncology Research, McKesson Specialty Health, The Woodlands, TX, USA.
Reference: Clin Genitourin Cancer. 2012 Mar;10(1):6-14.
doi: 10.1016/j.clgc.2011.11.003
PubMed Abstract
PMID: 22340631