Combination therapy prolongs survival in hormone-sensitive prostate cancer

Addition of the androgen receptor inhibitor dalutamide to androgen deprivation therapy and chemotherapy in an international, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase III clinical trial led by scientists at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Prolonged survival in men with metastatic, hormone-sensitive prostate cancer

Their study, titled "Dalutamide and Survival in Metastatic Hormone-Sensitive Prostate Cancer," was published in the New England Journal of Medicine

"Dalutamide, a potent androgen receptor inhibitor, is associated with increased overall survival in patients with non-metastatic, castration-resistant prostate cancer," the researchers wrote

Standard treatment for patients with metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer includes adding the chemotherapy drug docetaxel or androgen receptor pathway inhibitors, which reduce the effects of androgen hormones such as testosterone, to androgen deprivation therapy

MGH researchers designed the large, international ARASENS trial and randomly assigned 1306 patients with metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer to receive the oral androgen receptor inhibitor dalutamide or placebo, both of which are associated with androgen receptors, in a 1:1 ratio.

After 533 patients died, survival was compared between the two groups

Compared with androgen deprivation therapy and docetaxel alone, the combination of the three drugs did not result in greater toxic effects

"Despite recent advances, patients with metastatic prostate cancer have poor survival.