In a nutshell
The authors aimed to determine the effect of orteronel in patients resistant to hormone treatment.
Some background
Hormone therapy is commonly used in prostate cancer treatment and involves targeting the male sex hormones active in prostate cancer, such as testosterone. In some cases patients receiving hormone therapy may become resistant, where treatment will no longer work and cancer may progress. Orteronel (TAK-700) is a new hormone therapy drug that stops hormone production by targeting the testes and glands that produce hormones active in prostate cancer.
Methods & findings
The aim of this study was to determine the effect of orteronel in patients resistant to hormone therapy.
39 patients were used in this study. 67% of patients received orteronel treatment for more than 6 months and 51% of patients received orteronel treatment for more than 12 months. 44% of patients stopped taking orteronel due to cancer progression, 38% stopped due to prostate specific antigen progression (PSA – protein elevated in the blood when prostate cancer is present) and 31% stopped due to side-effects.
PSA levels declined in 97% of patients after treatment with orteronel and declined by more than 30% in most patients. The average time from treatment until PSA progression was 13.8 months. PSA-progression free survival (patients who did not experience PSA increases after treatment) rates were 88% at 6 months, 57% at 12 months and 42% at 24 months.
28% of patients developed metastasis (cancer spread from the prostate to other parts of the body). The average time from treatment until metastasis was 25.4 months. Metastasis-free survival (patients who did not develop metastasis after treatment) rates were 94% at 12 months and 62% at 24 months.
In all patients the average time from treatment until PSA progression, metastasis or death was 14.8 months. Progression-free survival (patients who did not experience cancer progression after treatment) rates were 88% at 6 months, 57% at 12 months and 37% at 24 months. 38 patients experienced side-effects to treatment such as fatigue (68%), diarrhea (38%), high blood pressure (44%) and nausea (33%). 56% of patients experienced grade 3 or 4 side-effects (serious to life-threatening – heart complications, breathing difficulties etc).
The bottom line
The authors concluded that orteronel reduced PSA levels in patients with hormone-resistant prostate cancer with manageable side-effects.
The fine print
Further studies are required for results to be widely applied.
Published By :
Clinical Cancer Research
Date :
Jun 25, 2014
