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“Intermittent Chemotherapy in Metastatic Androgen-Independent Prostate
Cancer (AIPC): Initial Results from ASCENT." Abstract #216, 2006 Prostate
Cancer Symposium
(June 2006)
The ASCENT
clinical trial compares Taxotere plus high-dose vitamin D to Taxotere
alone in a 250 man phase III study. Built into the schema is an option for
men to suspend treatment "if they had confirmed > 50% reduction in
serum PSA and a serum PSA < 4 ng/mL". "Treatment was resumed when
the serum PSA rose by > 50% and > 2 ng/mL, or for other
evidence of disease progression". Twenty percent of the combined treatment
patients and 16% taking only Taxotere met the criteria and chose to enter
a "treatment holiday". The median duration of the "off" period was 16
weeks (range 4-74+), and upon re-treatment 50% again showed a > 50%
reduction in serum PSA, 35% had PSA stability, and 15% progressed.
Dr. Beers concluded: "This strategy results in a meaningful
duration of chemotherapy holidays and can be offered to a minority (18%)
of patients".
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