Dr. Agarwal on the QoL With Apalutamide in Metastatic Castration-Sensitive Prostate Cancer

Neeraj Agarwal, MD, associate professor of medicine, University of Utah School of Medicine; and director, Genitourinary Oncology Program, Oncology Division, co-leader, Urologic Oncology Multidisciplinary Program, associate director of Clinical Trials, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, discusses quality of life (QoL) with apalutamide (Erleada) in the treatment of patients with metastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer.

In the phase III TITAN trial, investigators reported an improvement in radiographic progression-free survival and overall survival with the addition of apalutamide to androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) versus ADT alone in patients with newly diagnosed metastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer. Data from the trial served as the basis for the agent’s approval in this indication.

At the 2019 ESMO Congress, Agarwal presented QoL data with apalutamide. QoL was evaluated with Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Prostate and Euro QoL Group EQ-5D-5L scores, which included pain, grief, and fatigue inventories, says Agarwal. The assessment was conducted at every cycle when patients came in for treatment starting 7 days before, until 1 day after, the cycle.

Following progression, patients were periodically evaluated with the same QoL measurements they had been during treatment. Investigators found that patients’ QoL was preserved despite the additive effects of androgen blockade with apalutamide, Agarwal concludes.