Sustained testosterone suppression: prognostic indicator in advanced hormone sensitive prostate cancer

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Endocrinology

Background:

• Advanced hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (aHSPC) requires effective treatment strategies.
• Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is a cornerstone treatment for aHSPC, aiming to suppress testosterone levels.
• Predicting treatment response and prognosis in aHSPC remains a clinical challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between sustained testosterone suppression and clinical outcomes in patients with aHSPC.
• To determine if longitudinal testosterone monitoring during ADT can predict tumor progression and prognosis.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 336 aHSPC patients from two medical centers.
• Serial testosterone monitoring during ADT with stratification into sustained and non-sustained testosterone response groups.
• Evaluation of baseline characteristics, time to progression (TTP), and survival outcomes.

Main Results:

• Patients with sustained testosterone suppression had significantly longer median survival (7.58 years vs. 3.00 years) and TTP (23.7 months vs. 13.7 months).
• Inverse correlations were found between minimum/average testosterone levels and TTP.
• Visceral metastases and high tumor load predicted poor testosterone stabilization, while sustained response status reduced mortality risk.

Conclusions:

• Sustained testosterone suppression is a clinically applicable method for assessing treatment efficacy in aHSPC.
• Monitoring testosterone levels during ADT can effectively predict prognosis in aHSPC patients.