The efficacy of intermittent androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) for biochemical recurrence (BCR) after robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) is unknown, and its usefulness in Japanese practice needs to be investigated.
We conducted a retrospective analysis of 85 patients who underwent RARP and were selected for intermittent ADT for postoperative recurrence at Kanazawa University Hospital between 2009 and 2019. Intermittent ADT was administered for 2 years. If prostate-specific antigen levels increased post-treatment, intermittent ADT was reinitiated. The median follow-up period was 47 months.
The 73 patients had completed the initial course of ADT, and 12 were under initial ADT. The 5-year castration-resistant prostate-cancer-free survival rates, cancer-specific survival, and overall survival were 92.7%, 98.3%, and 94.7%, respectively. A subgroup analysis of 69 patients who completed intermittent ADT was conducted to evaluate the BCR rate following initial ADT. The 5-year BCR-free survival rate was 53.2%. Multivariate analysis identified testosterone ≤ 0.03 ng/mL during ADT as the sole predictor of BCR after ADT.
Salvage intermittent ADT may be an effective treatment option for BCR after RARP. In addition, it would be useful to confirm strong testosterone suppression as a criterion for transition to intermittent therapy.
Cancers. 2024 Mar 27*** epublish ***
Hiroshi Kano, Yoshifumi Kadono, Renato Naito, Tomoyuki Makino, Hiroaki Iwamoto, Hiroshi Yaegashi, Shohei Kawaguchi, Takahiro Nohara, Kazuyoshi Shigehara, Kouji Izumi, Atsushi Mizokami
Department of Integrative Cancer Therapy and Urology, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa 920-8640, Japan.