[Intermittent oral hormonal chemotherapy using estramustine phosphate and etoposide for the treatment of hormone-refractory prostate cancer].

Seventeen patients were given lower dose and intermittent oral administration of estramustine phosphate (6 mg/kg/day) and etoposide (30 mg/m2/day) for 7 days. Then administration was discontinued for 7 days. This administration cycle was repeated. Therapy was continued until evidence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity occurred. Fifteen of the 17 patients were finally evaluated for PSA response. Overall, the pretreatment PSA levels were lowered at least 50% from baseline in 7 (47%) of the 15 patients. The median survival was 65 weeks. Five of the 17 patients complained of anorexia or nausea during the treatment, but none of them showed over grade 2 anorexia, none requiring transfusion or hospitalization. None of the patients showed edema, deep venous thrombosis, thrombocytopenia, anemia or myocardial infarction. Because of its rare and mild adverse effects, this intermittent administration of oral estramustine and oral etoposide may be a useful and secure regimen for hormone refractory prostate cancer.