Evaluating cabazitaxel in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer

This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of cabazitaxel used for patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. This study found that patients treated with cabazitaxel had maintained or improved quality of life and pain control.

One treatment option for prostate cancer is androgen deprivation therapy. This blocks the male hormones, such as testosterone, responsible for cancer growth. Some patients may become resistant to this therapy and may experience cancer spread. This is known as metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). There are several treatment options for mCRPC. One treatment, cabazitaxel (Jevtana), slows down the growth of prostate tumor cells. A steroid hormone (prednisone) is often given with this drug. The effectiveness of this medication is unclear for patients with mCRPC. 

This study included 189 patients that were treated with cabazitaxel across 54 centers. The outcomes measured were overall survival, quality of life and control of cancer growth. Health-related quality of life was assessed using standardized questionnaires. 

At the start of the study, 58.7% of patients had more than one health condition other than prostate cancer (for example, diabetes) and 93.7% had difficulty carrying out all their activities of daily living (such as cooking). 

This study found that average overall survival after taking the medication was 13.2 months. Cabazitaxel treatment led to disease control in 52.9% of patients. Quality of life was maintained (40.3%) or improved (32.2%) in 72.5% of patients. 53.6% of patients reported pain improvement and a further 21.2% maintained pain control. 

Side effects from this treatment were reported by 37.6% of patients. The most common treatment-related serious side effects were low white blood cell counts or anemia. 

This study found that patients treated with cabazitaxel had maintained or improved quality of life and that over 70% had maintained or improved pain control.

Patients included in this study came from 54 medical centers, with different protocols for gathering data. This means data might have been incomplete for some patients. Also, efficacy could not be evaluated for 14 patients. These facts may change the results.