Docetaxel in the integrated management of prostate cancer. Current applications and future promise

Docetaxel (Taxotere)-based regimens can be included among the most effective treatment options for the management of patients with advanced, androgen-independent prostate cancer. Results with docetaxel as a single agent and in combination regimens with estramustine (Emcyt) have consistently achieved a palliative response, reduced serum PSA levels by > or = 50%, and produced objective responses in patients with measurable disease. In addition, encouraging survival data have been demonstrated in several phase II trials. The ability to administer docetaxel on a weekly basis has substantially enhanced research efforts for treatment in prostate cancer patients. The results of ongoing phase III randomized trials evaluating docetaxel regimens in androgen-independent prostate cancer are eagerly awaited for their potential to definitively demonstrate a beneficial impact on overall patient survival. Docetaxel-containing regimens are likely to demonstrate a substantial role in the management of early-stage prostate cancer patients in the adjuvant and neoadjuvant settings, where clinical investigations are under way. In addition, study results from ongoing trials that integrate docetaxel with hormonal therapies for patients with biochemical recurrence following definitive local treatments will be important in refining the future role of chemotherapy for prostate cancer in general. The preliminary findings from studies conducted with docetaxel are encouraging and await final analysis. Finally, preliminary results from studies exploring combination regimens of docetaxel and novel agents that possess completely different mechanisms of action (eg, proapoptotic agents, angiogenesis inhibitors, and vitamin D analogs) have demonstrated the regimens to be feasible and safe, with promising early response data. These types of investigational studies will likely occupy a dominant position in future research initiatives for patients with advanced prostate cancer.