Systemic treatment options for metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer: making sense of the data

Systemic treatment options for metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC) have recently shifted from the traditional androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) monotherapy to multidrug approaches incorporating drugs initially approved for castration-resistant state and ADT. However, clinicians have difficulties in choosing the adequate combination therapy for individualized patient care, because of the lack of consensus regarding disease risk factors, differences in study design of the major clinical trials and lack of direct comparisons between drugs. The aim of this review is to provide an update of the current treatment options for this heterogenous group of patients.

Current oncological guidelines strongly recommend that patients with newly diagnosed mHSPC and high-volume disease (CHAARTED criteria) should receive docetaxel and ADT, whereas those with high-risk disease (LATITUDE criteria) abiraterone and ADT. Recently, the Food and Drug Administration approved apalutamide and enzalutamide for mHSPC. Moreover, new data support the efficacy of docetaxel and abiraterone in patients with mHSPC, regardless of metastatic burden.

Today, the combination approach should be recommended for newly diagnosed mHSPC over ADT monotherapy, but treatment initiation must be personalized based on disease, drug and patient characteristics. Thanks to continuous efforts and progress in patient and disease-related outcomes, mHSPC could become a chronic disease.