The role of chemotherapy in prostate cancer. Minireview

Hormonal therapy in disseminated prostate cancer is effective in 70-80% of patients and prolongs their lives of a mean 1-2 years. Sooner or later, androgen independence develops due to a multifactorial mechanism. A smaller part of patients may respond to second-line hormonal manipulations (antiandrogen withdrawal, adrenal enzymes synthesis inhibitors, corticosteroids). In hormone-refractory disease only about 30% of patients would respond to chemotherapy. In the standard chemotherapy the mostly used cytotoxic agents are anthracyclines, platinum derivatives, vinca alkaloids and cyclophosphamide. However, combined chemotherapy is not more effective than monotherapy. Conventional chemotherapy may improve especially the quality of life. The median survival in chemotherapy patients (6-12 months) is not significantly longer when compared with the best supportive care. In recent years the main concern has been focused on new cytotoxic drugs and different combinations with hormonal agents. In Phase II studies the combinations of estramustine with oral etoposide, estramustine with taxanes and alternating weekly regimens (doxorubicin, ketoconazole/estramustine, vinblastine) show higher response rates (53-69% of patients with prostate-specific antigen decline of more than 50%) and longer survival (13-19 months) than conventional chemotherapy.