Cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin hydrochloride and 5-fluorouracil in advanced carcinoma of the prostate

Combination chemotherapy consisting of cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin hydrochloride and 5-fluorouracil was evaluated in 21 patients with metastatic adenocarcinoma of the prostate who were unresponsive to conventional therapy. All patients had extensive bone metastases. Of the 21 patients 5 (29 per cent) had a subjective response and an additional 12 (57 per cent) remained stable for 2 to 13 months after initiation of therapy. The median survival of patients with a subjective response was 60 weeks compared to 40 weeks for the stable patients. Patients who progressed on therapy had a median survival of 22 weeks. The significant response rate with a corresponding improvement in survival for patients on this 3-drug regimen suggests a need for additional trials to determine the response rate and survival compared to single agents.