Year: 1995
Type: article
Study design: Clinical Trial
Abstract: Background. Metastatic prostate cancer that is refractory to hormone therapy remains an incurable disease without effective therapy. The authors used the nuclear matrix, the RNA-protein network of the nucleus that plays an important role in DNA replication and gene expression, as a target for cancer chemotherapy. In pre-clinical models, estramustine and etoposide appeared to interact to inhibit the growth of the hormone-refractory prostate cancer cells. Methods. These agents were tested in a Phase II clinical trial of patients with metastatic hormone-refractory prostate cancer. Estramustine, 15 mg/kg/day, and etoposide, 50 mg/M2/day, were administered orally in divided doses for 21 days every 28 days. Therapy continued until evidence of disease progression. Results. Fifty-two patients were enrolled in this trial and had a minimum of 40 weeks follow-up. In 20 patients with measurable soft tissue disease, 3 patients demonstrated a complete response (15%) and 6 patients had a partial response (30%) for more than 2 months. Of 32 patients with disease limited to bone, 8 (25%) demonstrated improvement and 12 (38%) demonstrated stability in their bone scans. Overall, 13 men (25%) demonstrated a decrease of at least 75%, and 28 men (54%) demonstrated at least a 50% decrease in their pretreatment prostate specific antigen levels. Conclusions. The combination of estramustine and etoposide may be an active oral regimen in hormone-refractory prostate cancer. Cancer 1995;75:1920–6.
Source: Cancer
Institutions: Wayne State University, University of Michigan
Language: English
Subfield: Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
Funder: National Cancer Institute
OpenAlex ID: W2018073575