The comparison of response to palliative chemotherapy with mitoxantrone + prednisone versus docetaxel + prednisone in patients with disseminated hormone-refractory prostate cancer

Introduction: Some patients with disseminated, hormone-refractory prostate cancer (HRPC) are treated with palliative chemotherapy which, if based on mitoxantrone, can improve the quality of life and influences PSA decrease. However, it does not influence the overall survival. Such influence has been reported with the use of docetaxel-based therapy.
Aim of the study: To compare the response to palliative chemotherapy with mitoxantrone with prednisone vs. docetaxel with prednisone used in HRPC.
Material and methods: The retrospective analysis included 51 males with disseminated HRPC treated with chemotherapy. The age of patients ranged from 51 to 86 years (median 69). Two therapeutic protocols – mitoxantrone with prednisone and docetaxel with prednisone (n = 21) – were implemented. The obtained responses to treatment and the potential predictive significance of factors such as age, performance status before treatment, initial level of PSA and haemoglobin were evaluated.
Results: In the mitoxantrone group 63.3% responses and in the docetaxel group 76.2% were observed. A significant difference in percentage response between groups was not observed (p = 0.2540). No significant influence of the examined parameters was observed.
Conclusion: Chemotherapy in patients with HRPC is an effective therapeutic treatment using mitoxantrone or docetaxel (both with prednisone).