Taxanes in the management of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer: efficacy and management of toxicity

Crit Rev Oncol Hematol. 2014 Sep;91(3):248-56. doi: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2014.02.003. Epub 2014 Feb 15.

Abstract

Androgen deprivation is the therapy of choice in the majority of patients with metastatic prostate cancer. However, a state of castration resistance ultimately occurs after hormone therapy, thus defining metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). mCRPC has historically been considered a relatively chemoresistant tumor. However, due to its ability to improve survival and the quality of life in comparison with mitoxantrone, docetaxel has been established as the standard chemotherapeutic agent for first-line therapy since 2004. Moreover, recent results have shown that the novel taxane cabazitaxel is able to prolong the overall survival of patients with mCRPC previously treated with docetaxel. Even though these taxanes display a favorable toxicity profile, their routine use in clinical practice requires knowledge about the most frequent and distinct adverse events that may result from their administration.

Keywords: Cabazitaxel; Docetaxel; Drug toxicity; Prostate cancer.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Antineoplastic Agents / administration & dosage*
  • Antineoplastic Agents / adverse effects
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / metabolism*
  • Clinical Trials as Topic
  • Docetaxel
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Neutropenia / chemically induced
  • Neutropenia / pathology
  • Prostate-Specific Antigen / metabolism*
  • Prostatectomy
  • Prostatic Neoplasms, Castration-Resistant / drug therapy*
  • Prostatic Neoplasms, Castration-Resistant / mortality
  • Prostatic Neoplasms, Castration-Resistant / pathology
  • Prostatic Neoplasms, Castration-Resistant / surgery
  • Survival Analysis
  • Taxoids / administration & dosage*
  • Taxoids / adverse effects

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • Taxoids
  • Docetaxel
  • cabazitaxel
  • Prostate-Specific Antigen