Johan Braeckman

Enzalutamide monotherapy in hormone-naive prostate cancer: primary analysis of an open-label, single-arm, phase 2 study

BACKGROUND The androgen receptor inhibitor enzalutamide is approved for the treatment of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer that has progressed on docetaxel. Our aim was to assess the activity and safety of enzalutamide monotherapy in men with hormone-naive prostate cancer. METHODS This trial is an ongoing open-label, single-arm, phase 2 study, done across 12 European sites. Men aged over 18 years, with hormone-naive prostate cancer for whom hormone therapy was indicated, and who had non-castration levels of testosterone and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) of 2 ng/mL or greater at screening, and an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group score of 0, received oral enzalutamide 160 mg/day. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients with an 80% or greater decline in PSA at week 25. All analyses included all patients who had received at least one dose of the study drug. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01302041. FINDINGS 67 men were enrolled into the study. 62 patients (92.5%, 95% CI 86.2-98.8) had a decline in PSA of 80% or greater at week 25. The most commonly reported treatment-emergent adverse events up to week 25 were gynaecomastia (n=24), fatigue (n=23), nipple pain (n=13), and hot flush (n=12), all of which were of mild to moderate severity. Nine patients had a treatment-emergent adverse event of grade 3 or higher, most of which were reported in one patient each, except for pneumonia (grade 3, two patients) and hypertension (grade 3, four patients). Five patients reported serious adverse events, none of which were deemed to be treatment related. INTERPRETATION Our findings suggest that enzalutamide monotherapy in men with hormone-naive prostate cancer of varying severity provides a level of disease suppression, and was generally well tolerated. These findings provide a rationale for further investigation of clinical response and outcomes with enzalutamide in non-castrate men with prostate cancer.

Designing the selenium and bladder cancer trial (SELEBLAT), a phase lll randomized chemoprevention study with selenium on recurrence of bladder cancer in Belgium

BackgroundIn Belgium, bladder cancer is the fifth most common cancer in males (5.2%) and the sixth most frequent cause of death from cancer in males (3.8%). Previous epidemiological studies have consistently reported that selenium concentrations were inversely associated with the risk of bladder cancer. This suggests that selenium may also be suitable for chemoprevention of recurrence.MethodThe SELEBLAT study opened in September 2009 and is still recruiting all patients with non-invasive transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder on TURB operation in 15 Belgian hospitals. Recruitment progress can be monitored live at http://www.seleblat.org Patients are randomly assigned to selenium yeast (200 μg/day) supplementation for 3 years or matching placebo, in addition to standard care. The objective is to determine the effect of selenium on the recurrence of bladder cancer. Randomization is stratified by treatment centre. A computerized algorithm randomly assigns the patients to a treatment arm. All study personnel and participants are blinded to treatment assignment for the duration of the study.DesignThe SELEnium and BLAdder cancer Trial (SELEBLAT) is a phase III randomized, placebo-controlled, academic, double-blind superior trial.DiscussionThis is the first report on a selenium randomized trial in bladder cancer patients.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00729287

Long-term Efficacy and Safety of Enzalutamide Monotherapy in Hormone-naïve Prostate Cancer: 1- and 2-Year Open-label Follow-up Results.

BACKGROUND Enzalutamide is an androgen receptor inhibitor with a demonstrated overall survival benefit in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. A phase 2 study of enzalutamide monotherapy in patients with hormone-naïve prostate cancer (HNPC) showed a high response rate for the prespecified primary endpoint (ie, prostate-specific antigen [PSA] response at week 25), regardless of metastases at baseline, and favorable tolerability. OBJECTIVE To determine the long-term efficacy and safety of enzalutamide monotherapy at 1 and 2 yr. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Open-label, single-arm study in patients with HNPC and noncastrate testosterone (≥230 ng/dl). INTERVENTION Oral enzalutamide 160mg/d until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND ANALYSIS PSA response (≥80% decline from baseline) assessed at 1 yr (49 wk) and 2 yr (97 wk). RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS The median (range) age was 73 (48-86) yr and 26 patients (39%) presented with metastases at study entry. Of 67 patients enrolled, 45 (67%) remained on enzalutamide at week 97. For patients remaining on therapy, the PSA response rate at week 97 was 100% (95% confidence interval 92-100%). Of 26 patients with metastases at baseline, 13 (50%) had a complete and four (15.4%) had a partial response as best overall tumor response up to 97 wk on treatment. There was overall maintenance of total-body bone mineral density (BMD) and moderate changes in lean and fat body mass at 49 and 97 wk. The most common adverse events were gynecomastia, nipple pain, fatigue, and hot flushes. The study limitations include lack of a control group and of endocrine, glycemic, and lipid data at 97 wk. CONCLUSIONS Long-term enzalutamide monotherapy in men with noncastrate HNPC is associated with large sustained reductions in PSA, signals indicating a favorable tumor response, and favorable safety/tolerability profile, with relatively small negative effects on total-body BMD. PATIENT SUMMARY In this long-term follow-up of the efficacy and safety of enzalutamide monotherapy in patients with hormone-naïve prostate cancer, enzalutamide maintained long-term reductions in prostate-specific antigen, with a minimal impact on total-body bone mineral density. TRIAL REGISTRATION NCT01302041.

Cabazitaxel for the treatment of prostate cancer

Introduction: Prostate cancer is a frequently diagnosed male cancer. In men presenting locally advanced or metastatic disease, the mainstay of treatment is hormonal suppression. Despite the castrate levels of testosterone, with time, prostate cancer gradually evolves into a castration-refractory state. Chemotherapeutic agents are able to influence the natural history of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. Docetaxel is a clinically relevant, FDA-approved taxane. Today, it is the first-line chemotherapeutic agent in castration-refractory prostate cancer (CRPC). There is no standard second-line chemotherapeutic regimen. Areas covered: This review provides information on the efficacy of cabazitaxel as a second-line treatment for CRPC. The medline database was searched for clinical trials on chemotherapeutical treatment options of castration-resistant prostate cancer. All available data on the efficacy of cabazitaxel are summarized. Expert opinion: New treatment strategies for castration-resistant prostate cancer should primarily focus on quality of life. In this view, vaccination therapy seems promising because of the acceptable level of toxicity. However, more research is needed to prove their efficacy in the treatment of castration-resistant prostate cancer. Cabazitaxel seems to be a promising second-line therapy in CRPC.

Management of BPH then 2000 and now 2016-From BPH to BPO

The diagnosis and treatment of benign prostatic obstruction (BPO) is based on a number of well-known lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) feared by all ageing males with functional testes. The ascent of modern urology turned this disease from lethal into an annoying but treatable health problem in the previous century. We are able to relieve the great majority of patients from their bothersome symptoms to a respectable quality of life by medication or removal of the obstructive part of the enlarged prostate. We can be proud of some progress made in the new millennium to reach a correct diagnosis and subsequent choice of treatment aiming for quality of life and cost-efficiency for public health. Still it remains symptomatic treatment and we expect the new generation of urologists to close some gaps in our knowledge on the regulation of prostatic growth to focus on prevention and elimination of the disease in the foreseeable future.

Long-Term Antitumor Activity and Safety of Enzalutamide Monotherapy in Hormone Naïve Prostate Cancer: 3-Year Open Label Followup Results

Purpose: A phase 2 study of enzalutamide monotherapy in patients with hormone naïve prostate cancer demonstrated high prostate specific antigen response rates at 25 weeks, 1 year and 2 years with minimal effects on total body bone mineral density and favorable safety. In this followup analysis we evaluated enzalutamide antitumor activity and safety at 3 years. Materials and Methods: In a single arm analysis 67 patients with hormone naïve prostate cancer and noncastrate testosterone (230 ng/dl or greater) received enzalutamide 160 mg per day orally until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. The primary end point was the prostate specific antigen response (80% or greater decline from baseline). Results: No patients discontinued treatment during year 3. Of 42 patients with prostate specific antigen assessments at 3 years 38 (90.5%, 95% CI 77.4–97.3) maintained a prostate specific antigen response. Of 26 patients with metastases at baseline 17 (65.4%) had a complete or partial response as the best overall response during 3 years. In patients who completed the 3‐year visit minimal mean changes from baseline were observed in total body bone mineral density or bone mineral density of the femoral neck, trochanter, spine L1–L4 or forearm (range –2.7% to –0.1%). At 3 years total body fat had increased a mean of 16.5%, total lean body mass had decreased a mean of –6.5% and global health status had minimally decreased from baseline. Common adverse events were gynecomastia, fatigue, hot flush and nipple pain. Conclusions: Enzalutamide antitumor activity was maintained in patients with hormone naïve prostate cancer at 3 years. Overall bone mineral density, global health status and safety results were similar to those at 2 years.

766PDLONG-TERM EFFICACY AND SAFETY OF ENZALUTAMIDE MONOTHERAPY IN HORMONE-NAIVE PROSTATE CANCER: 2-YEAR FOLLOW-UP

ABSTRACT Aim: Androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) is the first-choice treatment for advanced prostate cancer (PC). Enzalutamide (ENZ) is approved for the treatment of post-docetaxel metastatic castration-resistant PC. In previous analyses of a Phase 2 study in pts with hormone-naive PC (HNPC) eligible for ADT, ENZ monotherapy after 6 mos and 1 yr (49 wks) was associated with a high prostate-specific antigen (PSA) response rate regardless of presence of metastatic disease at baseline, and with stable bone mineral density (BMD) and quality of life (QoL) on treatment. Here we report long-term efficacy and safety in pts treated up to 2 yrs (wk 97). Methods: 67 patients with HNPC and noncastrate testosterone (≥230 ng/dL) were enrolled in this open-label single-arm study (NCT01302041) and received ENZ 160 mg/d until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. The primary variable of PSA response (≥80% decline from baseline) was assessed at 6 mos, 1 yr, and 2 yrs. Additional endpoints included best overall objective tumour response, BMD, body composition, QoL and safety. Results: 67 pts were treated. Median age was 73.0 yrs (range 48-86); 26 (38.8%) had metastatic disease at baseline, and 24 (35.8%) and 16 (23.9%) had prior prostatectomy and radiation, respectively. 4 pts discontinued during the second year of follow-up and 45 remained on ENZ at 2 yrs. PSA response rate in pts remaining on ENZ at 2 yrs was 100% (95% CI 92, 100). Of 26 pts with metastases at baseline, 13 (50%) had complete response and 4 (15.4%) partial response as best overall tumour response over 2 yrs. There were decreases in mean (SD) total body BMD of -0.39% (2.24) and lean body mass -5.27% (3.66) at 2 yrs. EORTC-QLQ C30 QoL data showed maintenance of global health status through 2 yrs, though there were clinically meaningful deteriorations (≥10 points) on the fatigue, and role functioning scales. Most common adverse events (AEs) were gynaecomastia, fatigue, nipple pain and hot flush. Conclusions: ENZ monotherapy was associated with significant long-term PSA reductions and good tumour response in men with HNPC. This was achieved without adversely affecting total body BMD or global health status. Disclosure: B. Tombal: has received consultancy fees from Astellas, Medivation, Amgen, and Sanofi Aventis; payment for speaker bureaus from Amgen, Sanofi Aventis, Ferring, and Bayer (for whom he is also a board member); and travel support from Astellas and Medivation; M. Borre: has received payment for speaker bureaus from Astellas and Janssen; is a member of a Medivation study Steering committee and has received consultancy fees from Astellas, Ferring and Sanofi Aventis; P. Rathenborg: has received research grant support paid to his institution from Astellas and Medivation; A. Heidenreich: has received consultancy fees and payment for speaker bureaus from Amgen, Jansen, Ipsen, Sanofi Aventis, and Takeda (for whom he is also a board member); research and travel support from Astellas, and a research grant from Sanofi Aventis; P. Iversen: Research grant support from Astellas and Medivation; travel support for meetings related to the study from Astellas and Medivation; honoraria from Astellas and Medivation; and consultancy fees from Janssen, Ferring and Sanofi-Aventis; J. Braeckman: has received payment for speaker bureaus from Amgen and Eli Lilly; E. Baskin-Bey, T. Ouatas, F.G. Perabo, D. Phung and B. Baron: Employee of Astellas; M. Hirmand: is an employee of Medivation and owns stock in Medivation; M.R. Smith: has received consultancy fees from Astellas, Medivation, Janssen, Aragon, and Millenium. All other authors have declared no conflicts of interest.