Oncology

Prostate Cancer

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Intervening Earlier to Prevent the Consequences of Bone Metastasis

patient care perspectives by Glen Gejerman, MD

Overview

In patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), treatment with radium-223 has demonstrated a survival benefit, regardless of prior docetaxel use, and positive impacts on symptomatic skeletal events (SSEs) and quality of life. It has also been recognized that the use of radium-223 later in the sequencing paradigm may limit the number of patients able to receive the full 6 cycles of treatment. Several large randomized phase 3 clinical trials of combinations of abiraterone, enzalutamide, radium-223, and other novel agents are ongoing. In the interim, there is a lack of level 1 evidence to guide therapeutic sequencing. Nonetheless, the case for an approach that includes the early targeting of bone metastases is strong: advanced prostate cancer predominantly resides in the bones, and metastatic bone disease is associated with SSEs, worsening health-related quality of life, and increased mortality.

Expert Commentary

Glen Gejerman, MD

Co-Director, Urologic Oncology
Medical Director, TomoTherapy
John Theurer Cancer Center
Hackensack, NJ

As someone who delivers a lot of radium-223, I’m sometimes frustrated that, when a patient is referred to me bed-ridden and heavily pretreated, no one ever really gave a thought to using radium early. We know from the original ALSYMPCA (Alpharadin in Symptomatic Prostate Cancer Patients) trial that only about 58% of patients got all 6 infusions. When I see a patient who is heavily pretreated, I know I am not going to be able to give him all of the medication. If I see someone who is early on in the process – where he has early symptomatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) and some metastases – that is the type of patient I think we can have the greatest impact on. We’ve seen some studies now indicating that asymptomatic patients were more likely to have a better prognosis and a longer disease-free survival, or rather, secondary skeletal event symptoms, as well as overall survival. Then there’s also some interesting laboratory evidence suggesting that radium-223 may impact the cancer cells so that they can be more susceptible to T cell-mediated lysis. That interaction, although we’re going to need the bigger studies to see how to combine these drugs, supports earlier intervention in symptomatic patients, where it’s appropriate, and is something that we should be shifting toward.

“With regard to when to treat with radium-223, if I see someone who is early on in the process – where he has early symptomatic CRPC and some metastases – that is the type of patient I think we can have the greatest impact on.”

Glen Gejerman, MD

References

Baldari S, Boni G, Bortolus R, et al. Management of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer: a focus on radium-223: opinions and suggestions from an expert multidisciplinary panel. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol. 2017;113:43-51.

Gundem G, Van Loo P, Kremeyer B, et al. The evolutionary history of lethal metastatic prostate cancer. Nature. 2015;520(7547):353-357.

Nilsson S, Sartor AO, Vogelzang NJ, et al. Relationship between quality of life and overall survival in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) patients in ALSYMPCA. J Clin Oncol. 2017;35(Suppl 6S):Abstract 177.

Norgaard M, Jensen A, Jacobsen JB, et al. Skeletal related events, bone metastasis and survival of prostate cancer: a population based cohort study in Denmark (1999 to 2007). J Urol. 2010;184(1):162-167.

Parker, C, Nilsson S, Heinrich D, et al. Alpha emitter radium-223 and survival in metastatic prostate cancer. N Engl J Med. 2013;369:213-223.

Saad F, Carles J, Gillessen S, et al. Radium-223 and concomitant therapies in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer: an international, early access, open-label, single-arm phase 3b trial. Lancet Oncol. 2016;17(9):1306-1316.

Glen Gejerman, MD

Co-Director, Urologic Oncology
Medical Director, TomoTherapy
John Theurer Cancer Center
Hackensack, NJ

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