[What is the objective of second-line chemotherapy after failure of first-line chemotherapy in hormone-resistant metastatic prostate?].

UNLABELLED

Chemotherapy occupies an increasingly important place in the management of hormone-resistant metastatic prostate cancer. For the first time in this disease, docetaxel increases the survival of patients, with a modest, but definite median gain of about 2 months. In everyday practice, the indication for second-line chemotherapy after immediate or delayed failure of first-line chemotherapy is sometimes considered, although objective data concerning its efficacy are limited. The objective of the present study was to retrospectively evaluate the results obtained with second-line chemotherapy in a patient cohort managed at the Montpellier Regional Cancer Centre.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Clinical characteristics, treatments delivered and outcome of 43 patients who received two successive lines of chemotherapy were retrospectively collected by means of a standardized questionnaire. Three groups of patients were defined as a function of the chemotherapy protocols delivered: docetaxel alone or in combination, mitoxantrone and other protocols not comprising either docetaxel or mitoxantrone. Responses to chemotherapy were analysed according to three criteria: objective responses, laboratory responses and palliative responses.

RESULTS

At the time of second-line chemotherapy, the median age of the patients was 69 years (range: 46 to 83). The median interval between the end of first-line chemotherapy and the start of second-line chemotherapy was 3 months (range: 1 to 15). The protocols administered comprised docetaxel alone (12 patients) or in combination with cisplatin (4 patients), mitoxantrone in 13 patients, or other cytotoxic molecules such as vinblastine, doxorubicin or etoposide in combination with a platinum salt (14 patients). The median number of cycles delivered was 4 (range: 1 to 10). No objective response was observed. Six (14%) patients obtained a laboratory response. A palliative response was observed in 16 (37%) patients, 7 of whom were treated with a docetaxel-based protocol, 6 were treated with mitoxantrone and 3 were treated by other protocols. The median duration of palliative response was 3 months (range: 1 to 6). The median survival was 8 months (range: 1 to 24), with no significant difference between the various protocols.

CONCLUSION

In 2006, the objective of second-line chemotherapy in patients with hormone-resistant prostate cancer appears to be purely palliative. No reference protocol has been defined among currently available cytotoxic molecules. The indication must therefore take into account the benefit/risk balance to avoid compromising the patients quality of life. Therapeutic trials are essential to develop effective new molecules.