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Updated: Jul 4, 2025
A Bioluminescent and Fluorescent Orthotopic Syngeneic Murine Model of Androgen-dependent and Castration-resistant Prostate Cancer
Published on: March 6, 2018
The Efficacy of Ketoconazole Containing Regimens in Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer: A Systematic Review and
Obaid Ur Rehman1, Zain Ali Nadeem2, Eeshal Fatima1
1Department of Medicine, Services Institute of Medical Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan.
Abstract:
Castration resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) is a challenging subset of prostate cancer associated with an extensive metastatic profile and high mortality. Ketoconazole is a nonselective steroid 17α-hydroxylase/17,20 lyase (CYP17A1) inhibitor and is employed as a second line treatment option for CRPC with an established efficacy profile in patients. The aim of this study is to assess the efficacy of ketoconazole containing regimens for CRPC in terms of prostate specific antigen (PSA) decline rate using a systematic review and meta-analysis. In this review, an electronic search was carried out on PubMed, Cochrane CENTRAL, Scopus, and Google Scholar to find relevant literature. Random effects model was used to assess pooled PSA decline rate and 95% CIs. Publication bias was assessed using the funnel plot symmetry and one-tailed Egger's and Begg's test. In all cases, P-value <.05 was indicative of significant results. The review is registered with PROSPERO: CRD42023466536. A total of 483 articles were retrieved after database searching, out of which 23 studies (having a total of 1315 patients) were included in the review based on prespecified criteria. The PSA decline rate was reported in the 14 observational studies (having 964 patients) and 9 experimental studies (having 351 patients). Pooled results revealed that 48.6% (95% CI 43.1-54.2; P-value <.001; I2 = 73.24%) of participants achieved more than 50% decline in PSA (602/1315 participants). Sensitivity analysis using the leave-one-out method revealed no substantial change in pooled effect estimates; (Risk Ratio) RR 47.2% to RR 49.8% demonstrating the robustness of our results. There was no evidence of publication bias as assessed from the funnel plot symmetry. Ketoconazole containing regimens have shown moderate efficacy in high risk CRPC patients as demonstrated by the pooled results. Hence, a ketoconazole based chemotherapy can be added to patients' regimen if there is a persistent rise in PSA levels after androgen deprivation therapy.
Insights
Ketoconazole-based treatments show moderate efficacy in advanced prostate cancer. This systematic review found that ketoconazole regimens achieved a significant prostate-specific antigen (PSA) decline in a substantial portion of patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC).
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Pharmacology
- Medical Research
Background:
- Castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) presents significant challenges due to metastasis and high mortality.
- Ketoconazole, a CYP17A1 inhibitor, is a second-line treatment for CRPC with demonstrated efficacy.
- Assessing ketoconazole-based regimens' effectiveness in CRPC is crucial for optimizing patient care.
Conclusions:
- Ketoconazole-containing regimens demonstrate moderate efficacy in high-risk CRPC patients.
- These findings support the potential addition of ketoconazole-based chemotherapy to manage persistent PSA rise post-androgen deprivation therapy.
