According to research reported at the American Urological Association, 2020 Virtual Experience,” adding carboplatin to docetaxel chemotherapy for men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) and who failed either Xtandi or Zytiga may improve their survival.
There has been prior research that supports the use of adding carboplatin to cabazitaxel (Jevtana). This finding is not surprising but is important since Jevtana is a type of chemotherapy closely related to docetaxel.
Researchers from The Mayo Clinic found that in men who received carboplatin along with docetaxel chemotherapy “were 2.6 times as likely as those” who received docetaxel alone “to have a favorable response, and nearly three times as likely to have a favorable response compared with patients” who received cabazitaxel alone.
Their study included 90 men who were assigned to receive docetaxel alone (group A), 33 men received carboplatin plus docetaxel (group B), and 27 received cabazitaxel alone (group C). The investigators defined a favorable response as a 50% or greater decrease in PSA from baseline after a complete course of chemotherapy.
Men in group B were 2.6 times as likely as those in group A to have a favorable response, and nearly three times more likely to have a favorable response than men in group C, the investigators reported.
The 30-month overall survival rates were 70.7% for group B (the combined group receiving both docetaxel and carboplatin) compared with 38.9% and 30.3% for groups A and C, respectively. Men in group A had a significant 3.1-fold increased risk of death compared with those in group B. Men in group C had a nearly 4.2-fold increased risk of dying compared with those in group B.
If you are currently taking chemotherapy or are preparing to receive chemotherapy with docetaxel, ask your doctor if you should also add carboplatin.
Reference
Addition of carboplatin to chemotherapy regiments for metastatic castrate resistant prostate cancer in post-2nd generation hormone therapy setting: does it improve survival? Presented at the American Urological Association 2020 Virtual Experience held in May. Abstract MP79-17.
