The treatment of metastatic and castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) has advanced considerably from the era where it was considered that the disease was resistant to chemotherapy.
Cytotoxic chemotherapy involving docetaxel is now used routinely as a first-line therapy after failed first- and second-line androgen deprivation in advanced disease, improving quality of life and to a limited extent, survival in patients with advanced prostate cancer. The cytotoxic taxane, cabazitaxel has also become a second-line treatment option for patients with CRPC failing previous docetaxel therapy. Additionally, a broad range of agents are now available or under development including immune-based therapies (cellular therapies and vaccines), bone-targeting agents (anti-osteolytic and anti-tumour therapies) and molecular-based agents targeting cellular control mechanisms. Most of these remain experimental but on-going pharmacological development will inevitably provide urologists and urological oncologists with a broader range of therapeutic options for better cancer management in the future.
Written by:
Clarke NW. Are you the author?
The Christie and Salford Royal Hospitals, Manchester, UK.
Reference: BJU Int. 2012 Oct;110 Suppl 1:14-22.
doi: 10.1111/j.1464-410X.2012.11430.x
PubMed Abstract
PMID: 23046036
