In a nutshell
The authors aimed to determine the effect of enzalutamide on quality of life in patients with hormone-resistant prostate cancer after chemotherapy.
Some background
Hormone therapy is a common treatment used in prostate cancer. It targets the male sex hormones active in prostate cancer, such as testosterone. Enzalutamide (Xtandi) is a hormone drug used in advanced prostate cancer. It prevents cancer growth by stopping hormone production. Some patients may become resistant to hormone therapy. This is known as hormone-resistant cancer and means patients will no longer respond to hormone therapy.
Quality of life describes a patients physical, emotional, social and functional well-being which can be affected by treatment. It is calculated using point scores, where higher point scores indicate better patient well-being.
Methods & findings
The aim of this study was to determine the effect of enzalutamide on quality of life in hormone-resistant prostate cancer patients.
938 patients were used in this study. 674 patients received enzalutamide. 264 patients received a placebo (an inactive replacement drug used in the place of the active drug). All patients had previously been treated with chemotherapy.
After 25 weeks of treatment, patients in the enzalutamide group experienced a 1.52 point reduction (patient quality of life was reduced). In comparison, patients in the placebo group experienced a 13.73 point reduction. Advanced testing showed that patients who received enzalutamide were less likely to experience reductions in quality of life compared to placebo patients.
The bottom line
The authors concluded that patients who received enzalutamide had higher quality of life outcomes compared to the placebo group.
The fine print
Data was lost when patients pulled out of the study due to disease progression or other issues.
This study was funded by Astellas Pharma and Medivation, the manufacturers of enzalutamide.
What’s next?
If you have concerns about hormone or chemotherapy treatment and its effect on quality of life, please consult your doctor.
Published By :
Annals of oncology
Date :
Oct 30, 2014
