[Prostate cancer and chemotherapy]

Androgen deprivation in patients with metastatic prostate cancer produces palliation of symptoms, PSA decrease and tumoral regression in most patients. After a brief period of disease regression lasting 18 to 24 months nearly all pts will progress to androgen independence disease (HRPC) with progressive clinical deterioration and ultimately death. Chemotherapy with mitoxantrone has been shown to palliate symptoms but did not extend survival. Two large randomized trials showed a survival benefit for pts with HRPC treated with docetaxel with a reduction risk of death by 21-24%, and significant improvement in palliation of symptoms and quality of life. New agents targeting angiogenesis, apoptosis, signal transduction pathway, used alone or in combination with docetaxel currently are under trial in an attempt to provide much needed improvements in outcome. Questions remains in suspend when and who need to be treated, earlier, in high risk as in adjuvant setting? Current data have demonstrated that neoadjuvant or adjuvant chemotherapy is relatively safe and feasible. Further investigation through prospective randomize trials is critical to define the precise role of this modality in high risk populations.