The standard treatment for patients with metastatic, hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mCSPC) has so far consisted of medical or surgical castration. However, two published clinical trials using docetaxel in combination with castration (CHAARTED and STAMPEDE) recently provided evidence for a substantial improvement in overall survival. The survival benefit was 14 and 22 months, respectively, in the two trials. In addition, the CHAARTED trial showed that patients with high-volume disease may benefit most from chemohormonal treatment. According to the current available evidence, the new standard of treatment for patients therefore consists of castration in combination with docetaxel-based chemotherapy, which should be offered to all patients who are fit to receive chemotherapy. With the results of the LATITUDE and a further study-arm of the STAMPEDE trial, the combination of androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) plus abiraterone/prednisone has recently become an alternative treatment to chemohormonal treatment. This combination leads to an identical survival benefit compared to chemohormonal treatment and is recommended by expert panels. Based on the current evidence, it is not possible to decide which patient may benefit from chemohormonal treatment and who will benefit from the combination of ADT plus abiraterone/prednisone.
Der Urologe. Ausg. A. 2017 Oct 05 [Epub ahead of print]
C-H Ohlmann
Klinik für Urologie und Kinderurologie, Universität des Saarlandes, Kirrbergerstr., 66421, Homburg/Saar, Deutschland. .